Tag: bold

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Being bold… chapter 2

Now I have been meaning to finish this range of entries for some time now and the whole time something else requires more attention from me. Everytime I sit and write about this, storing a draft version, I feel that it is not right. It feels too superficial and actually nothing that God wants me to publish, if I can put it in that way.

Well, one morning in the shower, I think about all my draft versions that have started to write and just never published, and I think about what it really means to be bold. And just like that, the Holy Spirit comes, drops words in my thoughts, almost like when you put coins into a piggy bank.

I think to myself God is terribly on time. Everything on His time. So what God showed me, is, before you can be bold, you must first know what type of letter you really are. And with that I mean your style, your personality type, your body shape (yes this plays a big role in my opinion), who you are as a person, what you stand for on all levels, not only physically. And of course, who you are in Christ.

Then you have to start making peace with it. Apply self-love. I NEVER knew I was an A-shape body type. I always thought that I did something wrong so that my ass (ag I just have to use this word here and those of you who have heard me talk in real life, will understand that this just accentuates what I am talking about) is so big compared to the rest of my body. Instinctively I always purchase dresses rather than pants, because, oh my hat, finding pants that fit this body is just a losing battle it seems. Inherently God built it into me to choose items that flatter my body more, choosing colors and styles that suite my skin’s undertone better, without me even realising it.

Well then, after attending the Masterclass of Aletté Winckler in April, I learnt so much more about my physical appearance. I learnt to make peace with the fact that my bumb is bigger than my upperbody. It is what it is and it is WHAT I make of it.

Then, through all of this, I am busy with Ethics training from Probeta (I have some catching up to do and this is also why you have not heard anything more from me in this regard), based on personality types as described by Hettie Brittz (Tall Trees). Now this is another eye opener if I can call it that. Again, I could NEVER understand how sometimes, I can just go with the flow and be relaxed, taking life as it comes. And then in other situations, I freak out when I feel something does not happen the way I feel it should happen.

Yes you guessed it – THIS is who I am, WHO God made ME to be. I must learn to embrace it, accept it and develop it. This works on an emotional and spiritual level. So between the two things that I do and have done (Tall Trees and Aletté Winckler’s Masterclass), I am busy exploring and discovering who I am and what I am called for. I am also busy with EI Activator (Emotional Intelligence that expands on Tall Trees), but I have not made much progress there as yet, but I just know that the knowledge that I will obtain there will also just add more and more to this process.

So now that I know that I am an A type body letter, a Palm Tree AND a Boxwood, (I cannot elaborate much about EIA because I have to work a bit more through the material to know what I am there), I can proceed to discover myself with God by my side. He is busy teaching me about food (that I feel wants to overwhelm me every now and then) and what I must do to maintain my temple so that I can do the work which He called me for and placed me on earth for. And of course to develop that which needs developing…now my A can be an A that stands out.

To be continued…

Om “Bold” te wees… hoofstuk 2
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Om “Bold” te wees… hoofstuk 2

Nou ek dreig al lank om hierdie reeks inskrywings klaar te maak, en heeltyd val iets voor. Elke keer as ek sit en hieroor skryf en die draft weergawe stoor, voel ek net nie dat dit reg is nie. Dit voel te oppervlakkig en eintlik glad nie Goddelik nie, as ek dit nou so kan stel.

Wel, een oggend in die stort, dink ek weer na oor al my drafts wat ek begin skryf het en net nie publiseer nie, en ek dink weer aan wat dit werklik beteken om bold te wees. En so kom die Heilige Gees en begin die woorde in my gedagtes laat val, amper soos wanneer jy munte in ‘n spaar bussie laat val.

God is terribly on time dink ek weer. Alles op Sy tyd. So wat die Here vir my gewys het, is, voordat jy bold kan wees, moet jy eers weet watter tipe letter IS jy nou eintlik. En met dit bedoel ek, wat is jou styl, jou persoonlikheidstipe, jou body shape (ja dit speel ‘n groot rol in my opinie), wie jy as ‘n mens is, waarvoor jy staan op alle vlakke, nie net fisies nie. Wie jy in Christus is.

Dan moet jy begin vrede maak met dit. Self-liefde toepas. Ek het NOOIT geweet ek is ‘n A-shape body type nie. Altyd gedink EK doen iets verkeerd dat my ass (ag ek moet net die woord gebruik hier, die wat my al in lewende lywe hoor praat het sal verstaan dat dit net beklemtoon waarvan ek praat) so groot is teenoor die res van my lyf. Instinktief koop ek eerder rokkies as broeke, want liewe aarde, om broeke te kry om die lyf te pas is net ‘n stryd. So inherent het die Here dit in my ingebou om items te kies wat meer vleiend is, kleure en style te kies wat by my vel ondertoon pas, sonder dat ek dit besef.

Nou ja, na die Masterclass van Aletté Winckler wat ek in April bygewoon het, weet ek soveel meer van myself, wat uiterlike voorkoms aanbetref. Ek het geleer om vrede te maak met die feit dat my boude en bo bene groter is as my bolyf. Dit is was dit is, en dit is wat EK van dit maak.

Dan is ek ook deur alles deur, besig met Etiese opleiding van Probeta (ek het bietjie opvang werk om hier te doen en die dat julle nog nie enige iets sedert my laaste inskrywings gelees het nie), gebasseer op persoonlikheidstipes soos omskryf deur Hettie Brittz (Tall Trees). Nou dis nog ‘n eye opener as ek dit nou so kan noem. Weereens kon ek NOOIT verstaan hoe ek soms net voel ek gaan saam met die stroom dryf en ontspanne wees en die lewe vat soos hy kom nie. En dan weer in ander situasies omtrent uit freak as iets nie gebeur soos EK voel dit moet gebeur nie.

Ja, jy raai reg – DIS wie EK is, dis WIE God MY gemaak het om te wees. Ek moet leer om dit te omhels, aanvaar en te ontwikkel. Hierdie werk op ‘n emosionele en geestelike vlak. So tussen die twee goed wat ek doen en gedoen het (Tall Trees en Aletté Winckler se Masterclass), is ek besig om te ontdek wie ek is en waarvoor ek geroep is. Ek is ook besig met EI Activator (Emotional Intelligence wat uitbrei op Tall Trees) en nog nie verskriklike vordering daar gemaak nie, maar ek weet sommer daardie kennis wat ek daar gaan opdoen gaan ook net nog meer en meer bydra tot die hele proses.

So nou dat ek weet dat ek ‘n A lyf letter is, ‘n Palmboom EN ‘n Sierboom is, (ek kan nou nie iets sê van EIA nie want ek moet nog bietjie meer deur dit werk om te weet wat ek daar is), kan ek voort gaan om myself saam met God te ontdek. Hy is besig om my te leer van kos (wat my kort-kort wil oorweldig omdat ek voel ek weet niks van kos af nie) en wat ek moet doen om my tempel in stand te hou, sodat ek Sy werk kan doen waarvoor ek op aarde geplaas is. En natuurlik om te ontgin wat ontgin moet word….nou kan my A ‘n A wees wat uitstaan.

Word vervolg…

Being bold… chapter 2
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Being Bold… Chapter 1

When I initially started this entry, I thought by myself that it is actually artificial (is that the right word to use here? Or is superficial a better word….?) to write about something like this. It is almost like my entry about the centimeters that I had lost, that can be seen as superficial. Though someone told me that the particular entry that I wrote just motivated her to push through with something else….so then it cannot be THAT superficial, can it…?

With the sky covered with clouds, raining ever so lightly, at Magalies Park holiday resort (where we are currently finding ourselves), I reckoned that this is a good place to get the fire burning in the fireplace, to snuggle under a blanket, taking on (and finishing) this entry that I have had doubts about.

As I was showering the other day, I thought about so many things, this entry as well as the one about the unplanned weight loss. I feel a movement in my spirit and the word transformation is all that I can think of.

I realise that the Holy Spirit is showing me that which I had written about, is actually part of a transformation process, to change me Elsie Potgieter. From a normal letter in a document that just flows with the rest to a Capital Bold letter, one that stands out above the rest and is more noticeable.

The point I am trying to make is that I feel that God is busy with a transformation in and through me and of course that is going to manifest in the flesh (in a good way, not the bad manifestation that we normally link to the word manifest).

You see, the world that we live in is a fast paced, fast moving place these days. Almost everything happens on social media. There are so many platforms available that people actually feel overwhelmed by everything and don’t even always know what to look at that is meaningful.

As you may know, I attended a Masterclass hosted by Alétte Winckler in April. During this presentation, she gave a lot of stats about things. How long it takes to create an impression, that woman actually dress to impress other woman rather than their husbands – purely because we live in this very competitive space.

Mrs. So and So MUST be thinner than the one next to her, must have better, prettier hair, make up, clothes, you name it, it must be better. And let me tell you, if Mrs. This and That is not feeling up to her standards and because she fetched her kids from school in her slippers, she does not hesitate to comment and discuss someone else that is dressed better than her on that day that she chose to not put her make up on or even shoes for that matter!

Back to the point that I want to make. The transformation is busy happening. I did not get up one day and decided that by a certain date in 2022 I have to loose this amount of centimeters. And by that date in 2020 I was supposed to have this, that and the next done to transform on the outside.

No, it is almost like my one teacher at school said – every day’s little bit every single day. Bit by bit God is busy stretching me, moving me out of my comfort zone so that I can do His work that He has called me for.

If you do not risk it, you will not win it. I don’t know if this makes sense, in Afrikaans we say Wie nie waag nie sal nie wen nie. My previous sentence was just a direct translation but I am sure you catch my drift here. Sometimes we have to move out of the little block we have placed ourselves in. You know – out of your comfort zone. It starts with something simplistic as changing your hair, that gives you just that little bit of confidence that is needed.

My blog articles that I write, has a purpose and that purpose is to motivate others and to build them up. We are all caught up in this rat race. The balance I feel is just not there! Between work, kids, exercising, preparing meals, eating healthy and everything in between, leaves very little room to truly spend time with God.

Yet the time with Him is so much more important than all our earthly and fleshly needs. Many people that read my entries are working mothers. Full time in a very demanding line of work. Time to exercise is non-existent! Let alone eating healthier AND spending time with God! Not even touching on all the other things we have to spend time on, demands that must be met!

My prayer stays the same – that which I write about will encourage people, letting them know you are not alone. We are all in the same space. We have to MAKE time! I feel if I can do it, then anyone can! It makes me think of a song written by Josh Wilson – That was then, this is now. We all were somewhere and over time we have changed, (hopefully) moving closer to God in the process.

To be continued….

Om “Bold” te wees… hoofstuk 1
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Om “Bold” te wees… hoofstuk 1

Toe ek aanvanklik hierdie inskrywing begin doen het, het ek by myself gedink dat dit eintlik oppervlakkig is. Amper soos wat dit vir my voel my inskrywing oor my sentimeters wat ek verloor het as oppervlakkig gesien kan word. Tog het iemand vir my gesê daardie spesifieke inskrywing het haar net weer gemotiveer om deur te druk met iets anders…. so dan kan dit seker nie SO oppervlakkig wees nie… kan dit?

Met die wolke dig toegetrek en reën wat liggies val by Magalies Park vakansie oord (waar ons onsself tans bevind) het ek gereken dis eintlik ‘n goeie plek om die kaggelvuur te laat aansteek, onder ‘n kombers in te kruip en die inskrywing, waaroor ek so baie twyfel maar tog aan te pak en klaar te maak.

Soos wat ek een oggend in die stort staan en dink oor so baie goed, insluitend hierdie inskrywing (en die een oor my onbeplande gewigsverlies) voel ek ‘n roering in my gees en die woord transformasie kom by my op.

Ek besef die Heilige Gees wys my dat dit waaroor ek geskryf het eintlik deel van ‘n transformasie proses is om my, Elsie Potgieter, te verander. Van ‘n doodgewone letter in ‘n dokument wat net saam met ander vloei en nie regtig uitstaan nie, na ‘n hoof vetgedrukte (in Engels noem ons dit Bold en ek weet eerlik nie wat die mooi Afrikaans vir Bold is nie) letter toe wat uitstaan bo die ander en meer opvallend is.

Sjoe, die vorige sin het my skoon uitasem en ek het dit nie hardop geuiter nie! Ek hoop die kommas is almal op die regte plekke sodat die leser dit kan lees EN asemhaal. Nie te min. Die punt wat ek probeer maak is, die Here is besig met ‘n transformasie in en deur my en dit gaan natuurlik in die vlees begin manifesteer (op ‘n goeie manier nie die slegte manifestasies nie, soos ons geneig is om te koppel aan die woord manifesteer).

Jy sien, die wêreld waarin ons leef is deesdae ‘n fast paced, fast moving plek. Amper alles gebeur op sosiale media. Daar is soveel platforms tot ons beskikking, dat mense eintlik oorweldig voel deur als en eintlik nie weet eers waarna om te kyk wat sinvol is nie.

Soos julle dalk mag weet, het ek ‘n Masterclass by Alétte Winckler in April bygewoon, en in hierdie voorlegging het sy ‘n klomp stats gegee oor goed. Hoe lank dit vat om ‘n indruk te skep, dat vrouens eintlik aantrek om ander vrouens te beindruk, eerder as hul mans (want ons bly in hierdie kompeterende spasie).

Mevrou So en So móét maerder wees as die een langs haar, mooier, beter hare, grimering, klere, you name it, dit moet beter wees. En laat ek jou vertel, as Mevrou Dit en Dat nie op standaard voel nie, want sy het haar kinders by die skool gaan afhaal in haar slippers (dit klink net beter as pantoffels) huiwer sy nie om enige iemand anders wat beter as sy geklee is te bespreek en kommentaar oor te lewer nie. Die gesprekke begin bloot omdat sy daardie dag gekies het om nie grimering aan te sit nie en dalk ook skoene ontbreek en nou voel of sy afsteek teen ander.

Terug by my punt wat ÉK wil maak. Die transformasie is besig om te gebeur. Ek het nie op ‘n dag opgestaan en besluit – teen hierdie datum in 2022 wil ek soveel sentimeters verloor nie. En teen daardie datum in 2020 moes ek nou al dit, dat en die volgende gedoen het om te transformeer in die uiterlike nie.

Nee, dis amper vir my soos my een juffrou op skool gesê het – elke dag se bietjie elke liewe dag. Bietjie vir bietjie is die Here besig om my te rek en strek en uit my gemaksone te skuif sodat ek Sy werk kan doen waarvoor ek geroep is deur Hom.

Wie nie waag nie sal nie wen nie. Soms moet ons uit die blokkie wat ons om onsself getrek het tree. Jy weet – uit jou comfort zone uit. Dit begin by iets eenvoudig soos om jou hare te verander wat jou net die bietjie confidence gee (ek kan nie dink aan die Afrikaanse woord nie en die Engelse woord maak net ‘n beter indruk voel dit vir my).

Dit waaroor ek skryf, se doel is om ander te stig en te motiveer. Ons almal is in hierdie rot-resies vasgevang. Die balans voel vir my is net nie daar nie. Tussen werk, kinders, oefen, kos maak en gesond eet en alles tussen in, is daar bitter min tyd om werklik tyd saam met God te spandeer.

Tog is die tyd saam met Hom belangriker as al ons vleeslike behoeftes. Baie wat my inskrywings lees, is werkende mamma’s. Voltyds in ‘n very demanding line of work. Tyd vir oefen is daar nie! Wat nog te praat van gesonder eet EN dan nog tyd saam met die Here? Nie eens al die ander goed wat ons aan moet voldoen en tyd aan spandeer in ag geneem nie!

Ek bid steeds dat dit waaroor ek skryf mense sal bemoedig en laat weet you are not alone. Ons is almal daar. Ons moet die tyd maak! Ek voel as ek dit kan doen, kan enige iemand dit doen! Dit laat my dink aan ‘n liedjie geskryf deur Josh Wilson – That was then, this is now. Ons almal was iewers en het met tyd verander en (hopelik) nader aan God beweeg in die proses.

Word vervolg…

Being Bold… Chapter 1