Month: December 2022
The Ethics training
It is December 2022. I vowed to finish this Ethics training, which I rolled my eyes to (or is it for?) when the requirements were sent through by SAICA, and I committed to bring it up to date by end of December 2022. Well, all that I can say is that life keeps on happening! My word. I really don’t know how one is supposed to fit everything into a very busy schedule and maintain the balance!
On a cold and rainy day in December, when no one can splash around in the pool, sending me on a pity party because I have to do this training, while everyone else is relaxing, I decided to take on this training thing. What I realised now, is, when I started this training, it feels that I actually approached and did this incorrectly. But, then again, I don’t think there is a right and a wrong way to do this?
In my previous entries that I wrote about this Ethics training, and my experience with it, my focus was more on the journaling side of it, it seems. The part where your brain is stretched a bit. I did do some of the other things in between, watching the videos and so forth, but, my focus was more on the journal side of things it seemed. Which is probably also not wrong, is it? I mean, I experienced it as wonderful and fantastic! Because all the questions that are asked, that you must write about, lets you think, which is wonderful in my opinion! I did not work through all the other documents in detail and in depth. So maybe I should not place the cart before the horses and just do the journaling side of things. I should rather do it systematic, month by month, just like my Boxwood personality loves to do things. The other thing I realised now, is, I cannot do 12 months worth of training in a day. It is designed in such a way to do little-by-little over a longer period….
I then decided to back track with my training, because, you see, after doing each month’s training, you have to answer a few questions to obtain a training certificate. Now this certificate is the most important thing in terms of worldly requirements. This is my proof that I did this thing. I restarted at month two, reading through all the documents, watching all the videos and skipping the journaling side of things, because this has been done. All of these things are very convenient, by the way, and can be done in any way suitable. Either an app on my phone or with an internet link to a website on my computer, available for me anywhere and anytime. I did at some stage, save everything on my Google Drive which also makes it more convenient to access and print as and when needed.
Lynette Berger was so nice to still give me access to this, even if my twelve months since I started this thing, had expired. I am not sure if I am allowed to say this out loud and in the open like I have. But, here it is now! Said and done. Sorry Lynette, if I am the reason for your inbox to overflow with requests after people read this entry.
The documents, which I think, must have taken hours to put together by Probeta, under supervision of Lynette Berger (I am not entirely sure how the structures work there), made me realise just again, how this course fits in with the Pink Feathers of Beroepsvrou. There was absolutely NO way that myself or Lynette and her team, could have known in any way possible, from each other and the content of that which God revealed to us in unique ways and on our different platforms.
The content, it feels, is spot on, page after page. The parts where you have to analyse and dissect your Tall Trees profile, taking it apart, forming and working on being a better person. One of the headings or topics that stood out to me was under the heading Feed your faith and starve your fears. It was month 3 if I remember correctly. WOW. How true is this statement? While reading the content under this heading, it all comes back to what we are feeding ourselves. Emotionally and spiritually. Sounds a bit like my story on the flamingos….I cannot help but to want to give God a fist pump for this, and the fact that He allowed me to discover this course.
Attitudes and outlooks on life is contagious. If you surround yourself with negative people – guess what will happen? You will become one big heap of negativity!! This is exactly how it works in life and here it is, black on white in their notes. I realise just again, how manageable this course actually is. It is our job to ensure that we do not leave everything to the last minute. It took me a few hours to work through a few months’ information. So why do I not do a little every day? 15 minutes daily is manageable is it not?
I just think, in my case, I am so over eager to learn everything, that 15 minutes is not enough. When I find myself again, I am spending hours on these things, working through everything, all while the day job is waiting. Maybe I am over thinking this whole course? Maybe I must set a time limit for myself? Another thing that I also misinterpreted was, the 5 minute ethics moments documents – I thought (I actually do not know what I thought, because clearly I did not think) but, it felt to me that they are all the same. That is probably the reason why I did not read through it in depth…?
Only after further investigation, I saw that the first few paragraphs, which explains the process to be followed, step-by-step, (and is probably aimed at trainees in my opinion), are the same, and then, on page two, somewhere in the middle, the new topics start that must be read, thought about and be answered. It feels that the commentary and statements to be thought about, becomes deeper and more intense as the months progress. Here too I think that God is talking to me, Elsie, directly about my prerequisites – that I am lying to myself, if I think that I am going to feel better about myself and life if certain boxes are checked off.
Now I don’t think that they are trying to say stop everything that you are doing and trying to achieve, because, at the end of the day, that what you are busy doing in your life is what forms a person, to become that which God had planned long ago for each individual on this earth. I do not want to say too much about this, but, there is so much truth that I saw and experienced in this, especially about the anxiety. If you do not live in the present moment, then you tend to live a very anxious life. Ask me!! Been there and done that. I also know people that are still like this. Anxious about what can happen and what happened in the past. I used to live for one day. so much so, that I was missing life and when I woke up one day I was almost 40! It still hurts to think that I missed a bit of my life with this outlook, but, thank God that He woke me up to this. I stopped living for one day and started living in the present moment.
I still have not answered all the questions and reflective moments on all the documents, but, I read through all the content, watched the short videos between 5 and 10 minutes long. Here and there, there is a video that is longer, and this is normally when I approach the Treadmill or switch on the speaker while I am showering and putting on make up. I answered my assessment questions and am now the proud owner of a few Ethical CPD certificates. Enough to satisfy those that do inspections. Enough to satisfy me that I have done what I could with the time available to me. And I just want to add here, that, I am not being hard on myself here. This is reality, there is really no mercy from the professional institutions that we belong to, if you did not comply! Penalties, disciplinary hearings and who knows what else normally lie ahead if you did not do what was expected of you.
This achievement feels like a fist pump moment. With who I do not know, because, I am the only one that has these requirements within our firm. My husband does not understand all the intricate detail of these requirements, but, he supports me when I have to do these things. Even if it is supposed to be holiday time. But it is nice, I enjoy it. Yes, you can say it – I am a nerd and a sucker for these type of things that allow me to develop myself better. Because I just know, that this has a greater impact on my life and the direction that Beroepsvrou is taking. More than what I will ever know or realise. I also realised that my brain was a bit tired after doing three months’ worth of things in one day, and I decided to let it be. I will take on the rest, day-by-day and bit-by-bit in the new year. I know better now what this entails, feeling more comfortable about what to expect and now I know how to approach this. If I could put an emoji here now, it would be the little arm that is flexing his muscles, ready for action.
I truly hope that this entry (of my journey with this training, that felt like the elephant in the room) will inspire someone out there to sign up for this course. Don’t let all the documents and downloads and content overwhelm you. Approach it like you would when eating an elephant (hypothetically speaking of course) – bit-by-bit and day-by-day. Some days you will be able to take on the entire trunk and other days just a little block. But, when you look again, you made progress from the trunk to the tail! Then you would have addressed the elephant in the room. Just do it! Don’t over think it!! You are investing in your life and the best of it all is, the expenses you incurred, are a tax deductible, legit expense (in my case it is because I operate a business – if you earn a salary…maybe not so much). You get hours that count towards your CPD, without the content boring you. It will not provide eye-rolling moments while you are doing this. In my opinion, it is a win-win situation – what are you waiting for?
Die Etiese opleiding
Die Etiese opleiding
Dit is Desember 2022. Ek het voorgeneem om hierdie deurlopende etiese opleiding, waarvoor ek my oë gerol het toe die vereiste deur kom van SAICA af, op datum te bring teen einde Desember 2022. Wel, al wat ek kan sê is dat die lewe die heeltyd gebeur! Liewe aarde. Ek weet eerlik nie hoe mens veronderstel is om alles in te pas en die balans te handhaaf nie.
Nie te min, ek besluit toe wel op ‘n reënerige dag in Desember, toe dit koeler is, en niemand in die swembad kan baljaar, en my op ‘n pity party laat gaan, omdat ek opleiding moet doen, terwyl almal ontspan nie, om maar tog hierdie opleidingsding verder aan te pak. Wat ek wel nou besef is dat ek eintlik dit heeltemal verkeerd gedoen het, voel dit vir my. Maar, dan weer, daar is seker nie ‘n regte of verkeerde manier nie??
Die meerderheid, waaroor ek reeds geskryf het, van die hele Etiese opleiding en my ervaring van dit, was die journaling gedeelte, die deel waar jou brein so bietjie gerek word. Ek het wel van die ander goedjies tussen in gedoen, video’s gekyk, maar my fokus was eintlik meer op die journaling deel voel dit vir my. Wat seker nie verkeerd is nie? Ek meen, ek het dit as wonderlik en fantasties ervaar! Want die vrae wat gevra word wat jy oor moet skryf laat ‘n mens nogals dink….wat wonderlik is! Ek het wel nie in detail en diepte deur al die ander dokumente ook gewerk nie. So miskien moet ek nie die wa voor die perde span en net die joernaal inskrywings doen nie, maar eerder dit sistematies en maand vir maand doen soos wat my Sierboom maar hou van om te doen. Die ander ding wat ek ook geleer het en weet, is ek moet nie 12 maande se opleiding in ‘n dag probeer doen nie. Dis juis so ontwerp om bietjie-vir-bietjie te doen oor ‘n langer tydperk…
Ek besluit toe om te back track met my opleiding, want, jy sien, na elke maand se opleiding, moet jy ‘n paar vrae antwoord om ‘n sertifikaat te bekom. En die sertifikaat is nou in wêreldse terme die belangrikste ding ooit. Dis my bewys dat ek hierdie goed gedoen het. Ek begin toe maar weer by maand twee. Lees deur die dokumente, alles is heel gerieflik op ‘n toepassing op my foon, of met ‘n internet skakel op ‘n webblad op my rekenaar, beskikbaar vir my enige tyd wat ek dit wil doen. Ek het wel gegaan en alles op my Google Drive gestoor, wat dit ook baie gerieflik maak om uit te druk en so meer.
Lynette Berger was so gaaf gewees om my nog toegang te gee, al het my twaalf maande periode sedert ek die proses begin het verstryk. Ek weet ook nou nie of ek hierdie hardop en so openlik mag genoem het nie. Maar nou ja!! Hier is dit nou – sorry Lynette as ek jou e-posse nou laat oorloop het van versoeke na mense die inskrywing gelees het.
Al die dokumente, wat ek dink, ure geneem het om bymekaar te sit deur ProBeta, onder toesig van Lynette Berger (ek is nou nie presies seker hoe hul strukture daar werk nie), laat my net besef, van voor af hoe hierdie kursus aansluit by die Pienk Vere van Beroepsvrou. Daar was absoluut GEEN manier dat ek of Lynette en haar span, enigsins kon weet van mekaar en die inhoud van dit wat die Here aan ons openbaar het op ons unieke maniere en platforms nie.
Die inhoud voel of dit kolskoot tref bladsy na bladsy. Die gedeeltes waar jy so bietjie jou Tall Trees profiel analiseer en dissekteer, uitmekaar trek en begin vorm en werk aan om ‘n beter mens te wees. Een van die opskrifte of onderwerpe wat my bygeval het was onder die opskrif Feed your faith and starve your fears. Dit was maand 3 dink ek. WOW. Hoe waar is dit nie net nie? Toe ek verder onder dit gaan lees gaan dit alles oor waarmee ons onsself voer. Emosioneel, geestelik. Klink vir my maar so bietje soos my flamink storie….ek kan nie anders as om die Here ‘n fist pump te wil gee vir dit en die feit dat Hy my hierdie kursus laat ontdek het nie.
Houdings en uitkyke is aansteeklik. As jy jouself met negatiewe mense omring – raai wat? Jy gaan een groot hopie van negatiwiteit word!! Dis presies hoe dit werk in die lewe en hier is dit swart op wit in hul notas. Ek besef nou net weer hoe haalbaar hierdie kursus eintlik is. Dit is ons werk om te sorg dat ons nie alles los tot op die laaste nippertjie nie. Dit het my vandag ‘n paar uur geneem om deur ‘n paar maande se goed te werk. So hoekom doen ek nie net elke dag ‘n bietjie nie? 15 minute daagliks is mos haalbaar?
Ek dink in my geval is ek so oorgretig om alles te leer, dat 15 minute te min is. As ek myself weer kry, spandeer ek ure op goed, werk deur alles, terwyl die day job wag. Miskien over think ek die hele kursus? Miskien moet ek vir myself ‘n tyd limiet stel? Wat ek wel ook misinterpreteer het aan die begin, is, die 5 minute ethics moments se dokumente – ek het gedink (weet eintlik nie wat ek gedink het nie, want duidelik het ek nie gedink nie) maar, dit het vir my gevoel hulle is almal dieselfde. En dis seker die rede hoekom ek nie in diepte deur alles gelees het nie…?
Eers na verdere ondersoek, het ek gesien die eerste klomp paragrawe, wat die proses wat gevolg moet word stap-vir-stap verduidelik, (en eintlik meer op klerke gerig is dink ek), dieselfde is en dan op bladsy twee, in die middel rond, begin die nuwe goed wat jy moet lees, oordink en beantwoord. Dit voel vir my dat die kommentaar en oordenkinge so bietjie dieper en meer intens word soos wat die maande vorder. Ek dink hier het die Here ook direk met my as Elsie gepraat met my voorvereistes – dat ek vir myself jok as ek dink dat ek eers beter oor myself en die lewe gaan voel as sekere boksies afgemerk is.
Nou ek dink nie hulle probeer sê stop alles wat jy doen en probeer vermag nie, want op die ou einde van die dag, is die ‘n vormingsproses en dit wat jy doen in jou lewe is besig om jou te vorm, om te word dit wat die Here lankal reeds bepaal het vir elke indivvidu op hierdie aarde. Ek wil nie te veel uitlaat oor alles nie, maar ek het soveel waarheid in soveel goed ervaar, veral die oor angs. As jy nie in die present moment leef nie, lei jy maar eintlik net een ongelooflike aaklige angstige lewe! Vra my! Been there and done that. Ek ken ook mense wat steeds so is. Angstig oor wat kan gebeur en oor wat gebeur het in die verlede. Ek het op ‘n stadium so geleef vir een dag, dat ek my lewe gemis het. En wragties, een dag, toe ek wakker word, toe is ek amper 40! Ek dank die Here elke dag dat Hy my wel wakker gemaak het om op te hou so lewe! Ek voel steeds soms spyt dat ek dele van my lewe gemis het, maar, dit is wat dit is, ek het iets geleer, aanbeweeg en ophou om so te lewe.
Ek het steeds nie alles op hierdie reflektiewe dokumente geantwoord nie, maar het deur al die inhoud gelees, die kort videos van tussen 5 en 10 minute lank gekyk. Hier en daar is daar ‘n langer video tussen in, en dis dan wanneer ek die Treadmill nader of die luidspreker aansit terwyl ek stort en grimering aansit. Ek het wel my vrae op die assessments (wat is dit tog in Afrikaans?) geantwoord en is nou die trotse eienaar van ‘n paar Etiese CPD sertifikate. Genoeg om almal tevrede te hou. Genoeg om myself tevrede te hou dat ek wel gedoen het wat ek kon met die tyd tot my beskikking. Hier wil ek ook net noem, dat, ek nie hard op myself is nie. Die vereistes van die professionele institusies waaraan ek behoort is genadeloos. As jy nie doen wat daar van jou verwag word nie, gaan jy boetes hê, dissiplinêre verhore moet bywoon en wie weet wat nog alles. Dis ongelukkig hoe dit is in ons professie – die vereistes is baie, soms te veel om te hanteer. Maar deur God se genade, maak ek dit nog elke jaar.
Hierdie voel soos ‘n fist pump oomblik, met wie, weet ek nie, want dis net ek wat hierdie vereiste het in my firma. My man verstaan nie al die draadwerk nie, maar ondersteun my soos wat ek hierdie goed moet doen. Al is dit veronderstel om vakansie te wees. Maar dis lekker, ek geniet dit. Ja, jy kan maar dit sê – ek is ‘n nerd en ‘n sucker vir iets soos die wat myself beter ontwikkel. Want ek weet net, die het ‘n groter impak in my lewe en waarheen Beroepsvrou oppad is as wat ek ooit sal kan dink en besef. Ek het ook verder agter gekom my brein was bietjie moeg na ek 3 maande se goed in een dag opgevang het, en het besluit om dit daar te laat en die res aan te pak, dag-vir-dag en bietjie-vir-bietjie in die nuwe jaar. Ek weet nou beter wat dit behels, weet wat om te verwag en weet hoe om dit nou aan te pak. As ek nou hier ‘n emoji kon insit, sou dit die armpie wees wat sy spiere flex, reg vir aksie.
Ek hoop regtig dat hierdie inskrywings (van my pad met hierdie opleiding, wat soos ‘n elephant in the room gevoel het) iemand daar buite sal inspireer en oortuig om tog maar op te teken vir die kursus. Moet nie dat al die downloads en goed jou oorweldig nie. Maak met dit soos wat jy ‘n olifant eet (spreekwoordelik gesê natuurlik) – stukkie vir stukkie, dag vir dag. Sommige dae sal jy die hele slurp kan aanpak en ander kere net ‘n kleine ou blokkie. Maar as jy jou weer kry, het jy van slurp tot stert vordering gemaak. Dan is die elephant in the room aangespreek en uitgesorteer. Doen dit net! Moet nie dit oordink nie!! Jy investeer in jou eie lewe en die beste van alles is, dis ‘n belasting-aftrekbare, wettige uitgawe (vir my is dit omdat ek my eie besigheid bedryf, as jy salaris verdien….wel, ek is nie so seker van dit nie) en ure wat tel vir jou CPD sonder om jou te verveel en oog rol oomblikke te verskaf. In my opinie is dit ‘n wen-wen situasie – waarvoor wag jy nog?
The Ethics training
Kersfees gebede / Christmas prayers
Hard labour and the gift
As the year is closing and coming to an end, everyone seems to feel exhausted and over worked, and one cannot have a feeling but to spoil yourself with a little something special. You earned it right? You worked hard this year! Then the devil normally comes, sowing doubt in your mind about that which you think you want to buy for yourself. He even sows doubt after a nice meal you enjoyed. You know? When you spend money on something, rather than being more responsible with it.
My goodness, then you just do not feel good after doing something like this. Even if there was nothing wrong with what you did. Guilt and shame overwhelms you. Just there and then. You try to convince yourself otherwise and that you did work hard and deserve it, but there is no mercy. At the end of the day, you just feel like you do not have the boldness and freedom to do something for yourself, and then you end up not doing it anyway. On top of that, you feel guilty for having that thought (even if you did not follow through with it).
This is how I felt for many years about many things. Felt I am not allowed to purchase new clothes, have a meal in a restaurant with my family, even the house we are living in made me feel guilty (and it is not a magazine house, but, it offers a safe place and a place to sleep for each one of us – big enough for everyone to have their own space). The list felt endless. But then I came across this scripture. From Ecclesiastes (for the life of me I did not know what Prediker was in English! I had to look it up in the Bible again!) and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. (Amplified version). WOW. What a wonderful piece of scripture!
The something that you feel you want to do AND enjoy, you are ALLOWED to do, because that is a gift from God. What this tells me, the long and the short of it is, if you applied hard labour during the year, and you enjoy the good that comes with this, then you receive a gift from God. This is so profound and I am not saying go and spend all your money on yourself and walk away from your responsibilities. Not at all! But enjoy it, when you do something like this.
I want to leave everyone reading this entry with the following – it is now December. Some people are paid bonusses, and others perhaps not. Some receive a thirteenth cheque (yes I know, cheques do not exist anymore, but we all speak of it in this manner), others receive a smaller bonus, a little something extra. If you received a bonus or not, do not feel guilty about the remuneration that you received. If you worked hard, really HARD during the year, then there is nothing wrong with enjoying it.
Whether you pay your debts or whether you buy something for yourself that you always wanted. Perhaps you only drink a milkshake. It does not matter, use the gift that God has given to you through your hard labour. It was a long year for everyone. Everyone is exhausted… This is officially the last entry that I will do that deals with the scriptures on the very first desk pad that I designed and sold through Beroepsvrou. What a journey it has been!! There will be more in 2023 – new year and new bible verses! Watch this space! May you and your loved ones have a Blessed Christmas. Be safe, enjoy the gift that God has given us. Rest well so that we can take on the new year with new courage and energy! 2023 is the year of Jubilee!
Moeitevolle Arbeid en die gawe
Moeitevolle Arbeid en die gawe
Soos wat die jaar einde se kant toe staan, en almal moeg geploeg is (werksgewys), kan ons nie anders as om soms te voel ons wil onsself bederf met ietsie nie. Jy verdien dit mos? Jy het hard gewerk. Dan kom die duiwel en saai twyfel in jou hart oor dit wat jy dink jy vir jouself wil koop. Hy kom saai selfs twyfel as jy iets gedoen het soos om lekker kos te eet. Jy weet? Wanneer jy geld op iets spandeer het, eerder as om iets meer verantwoordelik met die geld te doen.
Liewe aarde, dan voel mens sommer net nie lekker na jy so iets gedoen het nie. Al was daar niks verkeerd met dit wat jy gedoen het nie. Guilt and shame oorweldig jou. Net daar en dan. Jy probeer teen dit redeneer dat jy wel hard werk en jy dit mag doen en verdien, maar daar is geen genade nie. Op die ou einde van die dag voel jy net nie of jy die vrymoedigheid het om iets te doen vir jouself nie en dan eindig jy gewoonlik op om dit nie te doen nie. Bo op dit, voel jy skuldig omdat jy daaraan gedink het (en nie eens noodwendig deurgevoer het nie).
So het ek gevoel vir baie jare oor baie goed. Gevoel ek mag nie nuwe klere koop nie, gaan uiteet nie, selfs in die huis bly waarin ons bly het my skuldig laat voel (en dis nie ‘n tydskrif huis nie, maar, bied skuiling vir ons en slaap plek vir elke gesinslid – genoeg vir almal om hul eie spasie te geniet). Die lysie voel eindeloos. Maar toe kom ek op die skrif gedeelte af. Uit Prediker uit. En ook — dat elke mens eet en drink en die goeie geniet by al sy moeitevolle arbeid; dit is ‘n gawe van God. Prediker 3:13 (Afrikaans 53 vertaling). WOW. Wat ‘n awesome stukkie skrif!
Die ietsie wat jy voel jy wil doen EN geniet MAG jy doen, want dit is ‘n gawe van God af! Die lang en die kort wat dit vir my sê is, as jy moeitevolle arbeid toegepas het, en die goeie geniet wat saam met dit gaan, ontvang jy ‘n gawe van God af. Dis vir my so profound en ek sê nou nie gaan spandeer al jou geld op jouself en kom nie jou verpligtinge na nie! Nee, glad nie!
Ek wil elkeen wat die lees los met dit – dis nou Desember. Sommige mense kry bonusse en ander dalk nie. Sommige kry ‘n dertiende tjek (ja ek weet, tjeks bestaan nie meer nie, maar ons almal praat maar nog so), ander kry net ‘n kleiner bonus, ‘n ietsie ekstra. Of jy nou ‘n bonus kry of nie, moet nie skuldig voel oor die bonus of salaris wat jy gekry het nie. As jy hard gewerk het, regtig HARD gewerk het deur die jaar, dan is daar nie fout daarmee om dit te kan geniet nie.
Al gebruik jy dit om skuld te betaal, of vir jouself ‘n ietsie te koop wat jy altyd wou gehad het met dit. Of jy drink dalk net ‘n melkskommel. Dit maak nie saak nie, gebruik die gawe wat die Here vir jou gee deur jou moeitevolle arbeid! Dit was ‘n lang jaar vir almal gewees, almal is moeg geploeg… Hierdie is amptelik die laaste inskrywing wat te doen het met die heel eerste desk pad wat ek ontwerp het en verkoop het deur Beroepsvrou. Wat ‘n belewenis was dit nie net gewees nie! Daar gaan nog stukke wees in 2023 – nuwe jaar en nuwe bybelverse! Hou die spasie dop! Ek bid vir jou en jou gesin ‘n Geseënde Kerstyd toe en dat julle die gawes van God sal geniet. Wees veilig, rus goed sodat die nuwe jaar met nuwe moed en energie aangepak kan word. 2023 is the year of Jubilee.
Hard labour and the gift
