It's three o'clock on a spring afternoon. A gentle breeze sweeps across the meadow and then waltzes upward, toward a lone standing dog wood tree anchored on top of a small hill. One of the pure white blossoms is gently plucked by the dance of the wind, which then harmoniously floats toward the ground underneath the tree, where a young mother and her new born child hides from the harsh rays of the sun.

One of the primary foundations of authentic, servant leadership is a willingness to serve the Organization, Church, Team or Country you lead beyond any measure of personal gain or success. It requires a readiness to sacrifice your own desires for the greater good of the many. Gandhi, Mandela, Churchill and Mother Theresa are good examples of leaders serving beyond personal comfort. I truly admire leaders like these, and find that I aspire to have many of their leadership qualities.

It is uncanny how we often gain new insights into our values and beliefs at the most unexpected times.

One of my latest and biggest insights came about by me leisurely walking out of the Gym the other day. On my way to the car, I stepped over a plastic Coke bottle and a few pieces of crumpled paper. I climbed into the car and drove off.

Eighty... Eighty-one... Eighty-two... Eighty-three... Still so many steps to go. 'Why did they build this damn statue on top of a hill like this?' I uttered out of breath. 'Why not just on level ground, or in the valley? Ah, of course, it's about the pilgrimage; a path to Nirvana or enlightenment. It's about a ceaseless search for wisdom and a place of ultimate rest from the burdens of this world, where our desires don't control us anymore and our good conduct served us well.'

I remember being a child of about 9 years old and being very chubby. One specific teacher used to ridicule fat people and the other children in class would chuckle. I didn't. I felt very conscious about my appearance and always assumed that they were laughing at me as I was the only fat one in class. 

When I think about beautiful gardens, I always visualise trees, especially those that skyscraper into the blue with towering strength and umbrella wide branches. I'm talking about the big ones.

In the movie 'The Legend of Bagger Vance', Captain Randolph Junah's new caddy, Bagger Vance, entices him to play the game of golf like he's never played it before. He helps him find his authentic swing - a swing of the club that only Junah would have. 

Recently we had the opportunity to escape from the rat race and spend some time at Mabibi, a serenely beautiful and unspoilt beach location on the North Coast of Kwazulu-Natal. If ever you want to be completely cocooned by Mother Nature, then this is the place to be! You will not be disappointed.

Imagine you are transported into the future 5 years to this day. You find yourself sitting in front of the desk of your Doctor. The atmosphere is somber. His facial expression mirrors twisted feelings of helplessness and sadness. "You have cancer and you only have about three months to live", is all he could utter. Imagine the flurry of emotions piercing through your heart. 'How could this be? It normally happens to others, not to me. Why me?

Someone once said that 'in times of adversity some men break, others break records'. With the current economic downturn, we can safely say that we are at the tipping point of this statement. Some people will choose to break; others will indeed break records.

"I see trees of green...red roses to...I see them bloom...for me and you...and I think to myself...what a wonderful world."

Do these words sound familiar? Can you hear the melody echo through your mind as you read them? If you can, you probably remember the hit song of Louis Armstrong: What a wonderful world.

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