A Forward Look, with a backward glance.

I once went to Golden Gate Highlands National park, which is the real highlight and main attraction of the Free State. The vegetation in the Golden Gate nature reserve consists mainly of indigenous grassland. Long hiking paths lead through the quiet mountain world, vigorous and boisterous river for river-rafting. I am fond of nature reserves, away from the hustle and bustle of the eclectic city of Johannesburg.

What stood out for me were the massive, colourful sandstone formations, which shone golden-yellow in the evening sun, and from which the area takes its name. But the splendour that I personally marvelled at was; after a long day of swimming, hiking, canoeing and foo-foo sliding-was reaching the tip of Golden gate in the evening and wanting to live there for eternity. I felt a sense of accomplishment and I felt that I had gotten my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everything I had done throughout the day was rewarded by that magical moment of reaching the cliff and starring into the ‘beautiful’.

That is the moment when it dawned on me; this is how I would like the rest of my life to play out. Adventure coupled with hard work and enclosed with a magical reward afterwards.
Even now after my trip, I still see the glaciers vividly in my mind and every day I try to take myself back there. Try to reel in all the ecstasy that the cliff brought to me. But I have come to an alarming thought that what if with time I will slowly start to forget or maybe my mind will equate and transform all those memories to a fragment of my imagination.

So I decide to take a canvas, paint brush and paint... relive all those memories on paper for all to see, for my future to remember and witness all that I had experience in a moment of my life on a cliff... in my past. For that moment was life changing, it gave me perspective on how I would like to feel with all new experiences. In completing my artwork and master-memory I hung it on my bedroom wall, so as see it each morning when I wake up and glance back at it before I go out to the world and create my future.

All my dreams and hopes hang on this memory. Just as in life! In order for anyone to have a goal in life, we need to have a clear picture of what we would like to achieve. It has to play out like a movie in our heads, that way when opportunities knock at your door, we may quickly and easily identify it and welcome it in! We would’ve prepared a room for it and it will fit in like missing puzzle piece in your lives.

Then again in order to achieve this goal you need to have direction. This will be encompassed from the starting point to the destination-having a backward glance comes into play! Just like how I always glanced back at my painting and grab the euphoria that will help me through the day. That is the principle we should all adopt. Capture that memory that will be conducive for ones growth. Then glance at it once in a while so as not to forget what you are working on and that you can get a clear picture of where you would like to be.

Whether it is your studies, career, relationships or whatever else that needs your undivided attention, may you rediscover yourself, define your future and take the journey in a forward look with a backward glance!

Zoe Maphala- Tuks Magazine