Survive or Thrive? Phase 1

T H A N K Y O U for kicking this project into reality, you are making dreams come true!

The overall goal is to provide the world with real life human examples of Thrivers. A long time ago I watched a movie called “The working girl”. I know that it was that movie and the music in the movie that inspired me to live in NYC one day, how else would a young girl on a farm in the middle of Zululand know about Wall Street?

It became clear whilst doing years and years of research that access for me to real life success stories was limited. Access to victims and any aspects of how terrible things can be, that was easy. I want to create something that focuses on the good aspects of life regardless of experience, education or even culture. My hope is that this documentary provides many many people with real examples that help them make the decisions they need in order to Thrive.

This was the first step in creating a lift off for Survive or Thrive. Technically I had NO idea, at all, what goes into making a film, nor creatively for that matter. I’ve surprised myself, again, my respect for Hollywood increased ten fold.

A shout out Thank you to Koelle, Nathan, Mary, Carrie and Lora. There is no way this would be posted without your help either.

Click here to view Survive or Thrive on YouTube: Survive or Thrive? 1.11min (if anyone can help me make the clip small enough to be viewed instead of a link please please email me!)

Next step: complete the 10min clip, send to Advocacy centers and Schools

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NOTE: I thought it was really amazing to come across this speech by Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder) on “Gifts and Chooses” today. Delivered to the Class of 2010 on May 30th at Princeton University. Some of the points that inspired me were:

– the wise words of his grandfather “Jeff, one day you will understand that it’s harder to be kind than clever”.
– “all the curious from the ages would have wanted to be alive most of all right now”
– “Tomorrow, in a very real sense, your life — the life you author from scratch on your own — begins.”

He goes on to ask some pretty important questions, it’s not long and a great read, I highly recommend it. Jeff Bazos Princeton Speech May 30, 2010

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We’re off the runway, Phase 2 is Live!

Here’s the link to Phase 2 on Kickstarter:

This is it! 8 days & 1,239USD to go!

My Focus is funding my Documentary

Until the end of February please go to Surviving or Thrivivng, The documentary Click on the tab “blog” for updates.
Thank you Tanya

The Carbon Diaries 2017

I LOVE to read. These days I’m allowing myself to see what captures me and move on if I find myself saying, you ‘should’ read this…………

Found this fabulous article written by Vic Groskop on Saci Lloyd. I guess I really related to Lloyd when she described she had “done all sorts of things” before finding her niche as a teacher/writer/activist. The path covered being a cartoonist, touring the US in a band, working in advertising and then as a script editor. Each of these experiences taught her valuable lessons like “being in film taught me to trust my instincts and realise that if it’s not a big yes, it’s a no.”  Think I’ll be using that as my Mantra for 2010.

Overall what I loved most about Lloyd’s interview was that she says “My aim is to write big, rich stories about characters battling with reality”. How cool is that, who out there does’nt battle with reality as some point in their lives?

The article ends with this quote, “We have to vote on what matters. Not on ‘growth’. Everything else is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.” I’ll be following Saci Lloyd as she continues on her path!

Here’s the link to the full article The Teacher who turned down a Hollywood fortune you might find it interesting that she turned Jonny Depp down

Sydney Opera House

We went to a Brazilian dance/capoeira/hip-hop show at the Opera House this afternoon!  AMAZING, these people move their bodies like most of us move our fingers. I was taken by the creativity and simplicity of the costumes. (think lion king meets blue man group dancing). The energy was electric and to be seated in such a magnificant building topped the whole experience. Was amazed to learn that the shells of the roof was all created as sections from a sphere. In some way’s I felt like I was at the Taj Mahal of Australia. Here’s a peak at the show, not sure if they’ll be traveling but if you hear of these guys (Bale de Rua) and are up for some fun, I recommend highly!

Thanks to Rosalie a school friend that I’ve not seen in 18 odd years for putting this together! You Rock!

CDO’s, CDS’s and the House of Cards

While working on Wall Street, I spent endless moments trying hard to understand lots of terminology & products. Often feeling like a fool and never giving up. Today I caught the tail end of this video on CNBC – Memories came flooding back. Endless conversations I had had trying to understand some of the credit products like CDS’s, CDO’s and MBS’s. Selling million $ software was not an easy 6 years. This Video brings back LOTS of memories. Lessons I plan on keeping close to heart, my number 1 lesson is to keep asking questions, no matter how stupid I Feel.

Here’s the link if anyone wants to take a look, you’ll even get to see Greenspan admitting he didn’t understand some of the credit products himself. My question to Greenspan would be when, and to whom did you say “please explain more?” House of Cards – CNBC.com

Words and their POWER: Happy/Healthy 2010

It’s a new year – the perfect time for all of us to look at our own lives and make sure we’re living with honesty and conscious clarity. It may sound obvious to some of you but to me, so far, its not been as obvious as I’d like to think. In 2010 I’m going to continue reaching out to those few that are trustworthy and strong enough to hold me accountable, as well as not listen to my justifications, mostly cause Nothing Worthwhile, I don’t think, was ever built Solo. Admitting our secrets is scary but as I said in my previous blog entry Secrets are like Vampires “once they’re exposed to the light, there’s a moment of horror, of recognition, but then poof – they loose their power over you,”

Here’s to 2010 being the year that you said it as you feel it, and live it as you think it!

This blog is not only to share what I love or find interesting and inspiring but also helps me save, “forever”, articles I think I will want to refer back to. Also my hope for this blog is that it makes us think, or rethink something we thought for SURE we knew.

Words and their Power. About 5 years ago I started paying attention to my words and then seeing if my actions mirrored them. It did’nt take me long to realise how much I said and did not do, there began my journey into living as I was saying. This article made my heart sing, Word\’s and their power, Glenn Close\’s Aha! Moment

Glenn Close points out that there are unspeakable words, think about it. What are the words you don’t want to say? are they your dirty secrets? If  you read the article notice if you are smiling when she asks for what she wants in the bike shop, nothing like good clean honesty!

My words are Incest, Sexual abuse, Intimacy, Love. These words had power over me and often I had no idea they did. Like Glenn Close I know that if I really want to help, I will have to say these words fearlessly, out loud! and that’s terrifying but I’m learning that moving into my fear is a good thing. Slowly, one step at a time I will move closer to producing the documentary that speaks out about Incest, sexual abuse, Intimacy and Love! and as I take each step I’m going to keep asking myself if I’m surviving or thriving?

Melbourne CBD

They say “Melbourne is to Sydney what NYC is to LA” and so far I’d say that’s spot on! Had breakfast in a fantastic little cafe called Degraves espresso (23 DegraveSt.), so cool to have decorated cappuccino’s again. Highly recommend their organic muesli, fruit and yogurt, oh and soy milk, NOT a problem unlike my life in Estoril:-) I also got to read a very interesting article on a magazine in Beirut called “the body”. Sex and the city of Beirut As you can imagine Joumana Haddad has received a diverse responce to her project, I think this personal journey into her own body can help so many on so many levels. To me this little excerpt speak volumes…………”People often ask me why I still live in Beirut, why I have lived here through the war and why I have never written about it. I say, Why do you look for the knife? Look for the scars. The scars are this women who is writing this stuff, doing these things. The war has given me a great deal of power. To survive in a city like Beirut, in this world, you have to keep on fighting.” I wonder is that the answer I would get from friends still living in some parts of my own Country, South Africa?

Degrave Street Espresso

Across the street is TOFWD *the organic food and wine deli. Another little gem to check out if you ever find yourself in the hood. http://www.tofwd.com.au. Interesting and unusual home made fare as well as chips and snacks.

TOFWD*the organic food and wine deli

Secrets are like Vampires

“Secrets are like vampires. A wise friend of mine once said this. They suck the life out of you, but they can only survive in the darkness. Once they’re exposed to the light, there’s a moment of horror, of recognition, but then poof—they lose their power over you.”

A while back I read “the glass castle”, Jeannette Walls style of writing and her life story deeply inspired me. Today I came across 5 things she “knows for sure” in the O Magazine and no. 5 JUMPED out! If you’re holding on to a secret, even if you don’t know you’re holding on to it and you think its past, you’ll know when you read these few lines. If it stirs something in you, get it out in the open, bring it to the light and see what happens!

To read all 5 Things Jeannette Walls knows for sure go to http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200911-omag-jeannette-walls

I have a few hours left before I leave the comfort of my warm and cozy flat and head for dinner in Singapore and 6 weeks in Australia. A trip I’ve wanted to make a reality for YEARS.