MOTIVATION - Changing Conditions

MOTIVATION – Changing Conditions


By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – October 2009

Denis Waitley says “There are two primary choices in life: To accept conditions as they exist, or to accept the responsibility for changing them.”

My blogs and the writing that I started doing about three years ago, started purely because I absolutely, categorically, emphatically refused to accept conditions are they existed. Uh-Uh – not in this life time!

I need to move forward, I need to grow, I need to evolve and in order for me to achieve this, I cannot live in an environment that is stagnant, that doesn’t move, that doesn’t grow, that doesn’t change and evolve.

The majority of people on the planet, seem to want to stay where they are – they are comfortable where they are or don’t like change. Many don’t like the situation that they find themselves in but are reluctant to make their own changes, or even accept the changes that others make, preferring instead to moan and groan about any changes that are made by others. I prefer to be a part of the solution than a part of the problem.

That said, as an Internal Auditor, one of the first things I had to learn and acknowledge is that everything that you do (or even when you don’t do anything) has a consequence.

Now here’s the thing – it’s all very well to be a part of the solution or to make the changes yourself, but there is a consequence and you need to be sure within yourself that you are prepared to accept the responsibility of the consequences to the actions and/or inaction that you created.

Take a look at democracy – there are millions of people in South Africa, who are truly pleased at the fact that South Africa is now a democracy (and I am proudly one of those), but look at the cost! Some of those costs are (but not limited to), several generations of people who have no education, no skills and have no opportunity to work for themselves, who’s sole purpose during the apartheid years, was to create dissention by violent protests and by burning their schools or bombing buildings – the cost is in the money that it takes to keep them clothed and fed and the replacements of such items that were damaged.

Our taxes go to that now – they go to providing low cost housing, food, shelter and even, on occasion to training through social enterprise, to try and give those lost generations the life skills that they need to survive.

Yes indeed, the cost of democracy is huge amounts of cash, to make life livable for everyone, not even enjoyable, mind you – just livable.

Would I have elected not to be a part of the change to democracy if I knew beforehand, exactly that the cost would be? Absolutely, definitely and without a doubt.

But then, I am always prepared to take responsibility for my actions and the changes that I make. Question then is . . . are you?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za