and if not for yourself, do it for the women that broke the shackles to see you run free into the rose bush and become one. the women that carry the legacy on their backs. of strength and complete dedication to see your little heart beat freely without hesitation. they held back to watch you run free. and broke themselves into pieces to see you become whole. if not for yourself, then for the magicians who from plain air spun you. a block of pure gold. go on and run free, my dear. for they did not do the extraordinary to see you become just mediocre.

Well, to answer that question, it's 11:30 pm and I have an exam tomorrow. And even though I wrote the title, just typing it brought chills to my body. But my goal with this little corner of mine is to clear up the misconceptions. To help those who just like me, who are still little pot plants waiting to bloom into big oak trees. Hi, I’m Kamogelo and I am a compulsive planner (hi Kamogelo), and it's probably my most toxic and self-destructive trait. But only because I don’t use it for the right reasons or “correctly”, for lack of a better word. I have made pages on pages, documents on documents...

We are knee deep into the second month of 2019, with a lot of us asking ourselves exactly where January vanished to. Another thing that seems to keep vanishing with the month of January are the resolutions we've set that are meant to leave us feeling happy, accomplished and successful at the end of the year. The setting of resolutions is the easy part; the execution leaves a lot to be said. It’s always interesting to hear the different opinions of young people around the issue of resolutions; with some believing that the "new year, new me" is just a waste of words that could have been used for...

Chapter 2, Section 16 of the Constitution of South Africa - freedom of expression. Freedom to be. My favourite thing about this generation is that we take advantage of chapter 2, section 16, and we do it without shame. Our inability and unwillingness to conform and fit a stereotype truly makes me proud that I am a part of a generation filled with dreamers and dream chasers. My generation has made it their responsibility to shake the status quo and get rid of the limitations that have been put on people for centuries. Labels are the one thing that have limited us. The first step in truly taking...

I came; I saw. But I forgot to open my eyes. -al aakhir (the last)

Designer Jose Fernandez and Daft Punk were certainly ahead of their time using these protective helmets ! Art, Creativity and Music come in so many variations during different eras, we should always appreciate them in all their glory! Look out everywhere, everyday for creative genius with appreciation to open up your mind. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger !! Lyrics of Daft Punk let’s us know as the numbers rise; Covid19 is knocking on your doorstep dear friends. Please don’t get weary of our new practices. Embrace this new way of life, for now at least. Take precautions and be responsible for...

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower 🌹 that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying.... 🥀“, from a poem by Robert Herrick, where he implores to young virgins to make much of time. In this poem he urges the youth to use their time wisely. Once time is lost it can never be recovered. When you young and fit and healthy, put in the time, effort and hard work to achieve your dreams for the best life possible for yourself. Simply put sieze the day, carpe diem!! I like the concept of time in the 2011 movie, “In Time”, starring Justin Timberlake. It’s a modern...

In 2014 after I finished primary school, I did my first big chop after having relaxed (chemically straightened) hair for my entire life. In 2016, I cut it again because I was using products that weren’t made for my hair. I’ve been natural since then. Almost 4 years natural and I’ve never looked back. I know I’m not the only one that has gone through this. I know so many girls and women with curly or coily hair who have gone through the same thing. This is how I fell in love with my hair even in a world that doesn’t support it. It sounds weird. Not liking your hair, but for me, it's been such a...

African Skies ? Dusk or Dawn ? Yin or Yang? ☯️

Sometimes in life we don’t want to face reality. Like in the classic movie with Tom Cruise, Vanilla Sky where the main character is disfigured. He can’t live with himself and escapes from reality using, medication and eventually opts to be frozen, until he is ready to “face the world” with his perfect face again. Many Gen Z want to escape tribulations, trials, trauma... through drugs abuse💉 , alcohol abuse🍷 and through other vices that make them feel more in control of their lives but it’s only for a short time; then eventually they end up feeling helpless and in a worse off state. I used the...

The human experience never fails to amaze me. How we are put here for a challenge that we are in no way prepared for, and in that, we not only face the challenges of the world, but the challenge that is ourselves. The human experience in and of itself is so complex. There is so much depth to us, and although that leaves so much room for opportunity, we’re often left feeling like we don’t know where we fit in. The divinity that exists in our being here on this planet shows me that this is an experience we shouldn’t take for granted. That we are the product of billions of possibilities. That...

Growing up I'd see different females with beautiful bodies which made me feel insecure about my own. In society females are praised for their small waists, big hips, long legs, flat bellies and beautiful skin which brings a decline to self esteem and self confidence and the media seems to control you. I've learnt that there are different bodies and all kinds of bodies are beautiful regardless of the size, type or tone of your body. It is time we start accepting who we are and be proud of who we are because it is not your body that defines who you are but who you are from within. It is time we...

It wasn’t until last year that I realized just how irregular my sleep pattern is. I had days that went by really quickly and nights that lasted forever. I deal with insomnia. At its worst, I would be sleeping two and a half hours a day. I firmly believe it’s from anxiety and an active mind that has been trained to constantly be busy. I just watched Eve Cornwell’s video on productivity, and it inspired this blog. In that she brings up a very important point that I tend to forget when thinking about productivity and work. That we were not made to constantly be at work. Productivity is a...

Challenges can only reveal who we truly are as we are a unique set of individuals globally, across the entire world, but the question is - are you being defined by them? During these unprecedented times of the coronavirus which have had a tremendous negative impact on the economies of the world, we have all found ourselves at some point in ourselves where we have felt like we are at the breaking point of our lives, and it is at those moments where we have to realise either we will be defined by what we were facing or how we were feeling at those peculiar point in our lives. Yes, it is without...

I'm a big fan of love. Mostly because I've been shown that without it, I am nothing, and with it, I am whole. You are love — made by love and sustained by love. It's the voice that tells you to keep going, the voice that keeps you sane, calm and kind. May it surround you, may it follow and carry you all the days of your life. From ourselves and the ones around us. There is no good life without it. 2021 has shown me how important it is to be filled and surrounded by it. The world is cold and cruel, but where there was love is where I felt most protected and at peace. And in this world of...

Growing up I always felt excluded, inferior, and as if the entire world were plotting against me. It took me about 3 years to finally stop trying to catch everyone out in the act. Though I stopped trying to catch everyone out plotting against me, I still couldn’t fully accept myself or express my emotions. To do that, I first needed to admit that I had feelings in the first place. It wasn’t until my matric year when I opened up to a teacher that I realized how closed and secretive I’ve been. It was her words “You always seemed so positive and happy-go-lucky” that changed me. If only she knew...

At the beginning of 2019, I fell in love with myself. To who do I give the credit? Social media (and myself, of course). Social media has been viewed by many as a double-edged sword, the source of downfalls and plenty of problems, and while it is, if used correctly, it doesn’t have to be. This is my story of how I found light in the darkness. I like to call it “the individuality epidemic” or the 9 millionth social revolution and it is one that holds the story of a 17-year-old from South Africa. Hi, I am the 17-year-old from South Africa. I have been blessed enough to be part of a group of...