How many times did you...????

I love the Steve Harvey Show, Family Feud (Steve Harvey) and just generally his style of comedy. That sense of humour of his travels through everything he does. Even his books.

I read his first book some time ago and I remember some stuff but I admit that not everything in his book applies to everyone. It is really quite heavily depended on your own values and how you were raised in respect of male and female roles.

I've not read his second or third book but watching youtube Steve Harvey episodes reminded me of Steve's Jump concept.

Well what he said had me think about the times I had JUMPED but never really knew that I did and that I had not appreciated my courage in doing so. So today I thought of all the times I JUMPED, how I paid for it and what it meant for me today.

I wanted to soar. I know we all have different ways of getting to that point where we soar but it is something that gives such joy after the fear subsides.

JUMP #1
I buckled down to learn when all other students were fighting for a better education. Yes we got gutter education but what I realised was that even though the fight for better education was right and noble it was not going to happen while I was at school. So I decided to make the best of my time in school and I decided that I will make this gutter education work for me.

JUMP #2
I refused to settle for ST 8 (leaving school at that level). I did not want to work in a bank and forged ahead to matric (ST 10). I knew then that working in a bank would bring money in to our family but I wanted so much more. I thought about how I could ensure we kick poverty's backside long term...working in a bank was not going to give me that.

JUMP #3
I buckled down to learn (UNI)...asking for a job led to me going to University. How could I not make the most of this. This was Allah opening a door for me that I never even thought was there...I hoped for it but I never knew it was there and when it opened I JUMPED.

JUMP #4
I worked away from home as a newly qualified. I was alone (not that young in age but certainly naïve) but I wanted to do what I knew I could do. I needed to find a way to do it for me and my family. Mood was miserably low but with time and with work my mood lifted and this was because my confidence grew. Two things really...I wanted to come away from the place I grew up in and I wanted to earn money. The latter being the more important.

JUMP #5
I gave up a permanent job to work as a locum in a field of interest (Drug and Alcohol Services)...I saw that as facing a demon of my own. Having a family member who struggled with this made me angry and I felt resentful for a long while. However, my study allowed me to start addressing deep rooted issues of my own. My learning here was joined with my ability to teach others and help others understand how drug and alcohol misuse impacted their lives and how it eventually script their outcome. It was a huge learning curve for me but exactly the right place for me at that time because this is where I saw my next JUMP opportunity.

JUMP #6
Decided to pursue a working opportunity outside of South Africa.  I did this with a colleague of mine. My colleague got the job I did not... but I did not give up. I started this journey and I was not giving up. Days after I got another interview and got the job in the UK. We don't often see what is in front of us... we think we do or we dream of something... but we must learn that we cannot know what is in front of us all the time and what is set out to be yours will come to you but not always in your time. If you have the patience and the understanding of this you will eventually be satisfied when it finally arrives. So the JUMP for me was to leave my family and move to a strange country on my own, very little money but loads of 2 minute noodles. To work hard, earn money, learn and become proud of myself while caring for my family in South Africa.

JUMP #7
While away from my family and living in a strange country where I could access many things and enjoyed many things...I was never tempted. I made some very good friend and lost/hurt some very good friends also. My decision in 2006 was to put me ahead of others. I needed to focus on me. In order to do this I needed to be courageous. I started dating and opened myself up to another level of emotional commitment. This was the best decision I made. I invested in someone with LOVE and even though this was the best place I ever was ...happy...it was also the scariest place I was at...the hurt attached to this was greater than what I have ever experienced...I decided I want to take that chance and trust in me first and then in the person I chose.

JUMP #8
Now sometimes people don't often listen to the little hints they get to tell them to JUMP. I had such an experience...one I hated but I paid for this one completely. Sometimes we get too comfortable, too scared, too loyal..whatever you want to call it...when we get to that stage of our lives we tend to do nothing and our soaring stops. I only realised this after the fact through reflecting on the situation. I developed strong feeling towards people and in fact a distrust in others when I got this kick up my backside. My JUMP here was to never give up, build yourself up to a point where you can take a bigger jump to make you soar more. I left my job, found a smaller one (I cried every day because it was with adults who was ill and could not do much for themselves, their dignity harmed and their desperation tangible) and stuck to it for a while until I felt good enough in myself to find the job I wanted.

JUMP #9
I JUMPED another time and that was to leave UK and move to NZ to be with my honey. I did not know what I was going towards.... all I knew was that my honey was there and what I needed right at that time was to be with him and not feel alone in that special sense. It is another great opportunity that brought happiness to my live.

JUMP #10
Buckle down and learn...I am a professional and never want to stop learning. I put myself forward to learn and took on challenges to make me soar in my career.

Each and every one of these JUMPS was huge for me. It not only brought with it pleasure, happiness and thankfulness but it also brought with it fear, tears, hurt, distrust etc. My learning in this was that one can never achieve things without having a mix of these feelings. Sometimes we make a choice not to feel like this again and in doing so we limit our opportunities. I want to be more courageous and take more JUMPS in my life. I do so with the trust in a higher power and myself. I accept the plan for my life and hope to see the doors open for me when it does not when someone kicks me out of it.

I see all my JUMPS as blessings and I hope that there are many others out there who have had fantastic JUMP opportunities also. If you have had some comment below because I would like to hear about your experiences and thoughts.