I tend to stay away from political topics. This is because I don’t see politics as a root problem. I see it as a bad fruit problem, stemming from rotten roots.
But I wanted to write this post because I think someone might need to hear this.
The question of whether Afrikaners should leave, is not a new one, but it has been revisited recently because of certain political events. I won’t get into the details of this. I will only share a few thoughts.
A few years ago, I’d asked my dreams, Should I leave South Africa? Immigrating would not be a quick and easy thing to do. It’s a major decision. I never make major life decisions without proper inner guidance. (Here’s a related post).
I was grappling with this question because of very deep concerns about widespread incompetence in South Africa. Back then, we were in the midst of very punishing loadshedding. Also, that year, someone had nearly attacked me on the street, saying “I’m tired of you white people”.
I hesitate to write this because I know how charged these topics can be. I never aim to anger with my writing. My aim is always to encourage emotional awareness, emotional integration, and mindfulness. The point is that I write this, not as someone who stands apart from these problems, but as someone who has experienced these issues first hand.
Anyway, the dream advice was this: Be the change you would like to see. It sounds cliché. Let me rephrase and explain. Create the change you would like to see. Change is created from the inside out. Inner change ripples out. The dream spoke in story and images. I don’t know if I am doing a great job at translating it in words. But it’s true. Things outside of us only have the control that we give it.
So, if you have concerns about widespread incompetence and corruption—level up! Don’t moan about it, beer in hand. Read more. Learn more. Teach more. Work through your own destructive patterns. Don’t blame. Move from a space that is calm and considered. Cultivate emotional awareness. Cultivate presence.
I’m not leaving. I’ve built a life here. But that is not the only reason. Nature and Wild Life in South Africa is … well … amazing. We have amazing locations like Blyde River Canyon, Dullstroom, Magoebaskloof, Drakensberg, Stellenbosch wine farms. Cape Town. On and on. We have amazing beaches. The entire Wild Coast is just one of my favourite places ever. And these are just some of the places that I’ve been to. I’m sure I’m missing some. I still want to go visit SALT in the Karoo.
I’ve seen huge varieties of birds in my garden. Birds like hornbills, weavers, lovebirds, sunbirds and flycatchers. I occasionally see hawks and kingfishers too. I have huge trees in my backyard where I sometimes meditate. I love this place. I love Pretoria.
Here’s something encouraging to think about: Would fixing and cleaning Pretoria and Gauteng really be that hard if everyone was working together. Would it really be such a major task if it weren’t for the endless hindrances that emotionally destructive individuals pose. If everyone had emotional awareness, would we still sit with these problems? Set aside the emotional problem and you’re actually left with potential.
Here are some additional things to think about: How long does it take to make one student a better, reader, thinker, and writer. A few years. You can see tremendous improvement in one year—but it requires commitment and willingness. How long would it take to make all young people better readers and thinkers? With focus—maybe a decade? How long will it take to build a skilled young population? Here too, I will say a few years. This doesn’t require money. There’s a huge infrastructure of information that can be accessed with (mostly) zero cost. It requires willingness.
Some might feel that I am underestimating here. Maybe. But I have worked with students of various ages. I have taught various subjects: languages and hard sciences. I always come back to this truth: Everyone can improve by leaps and bounds. But that improvement requires consistent hard work and focus. It requires an honest look at your skill level. But more importantly, it requires enough emotional growth not to get endlessly distracted. In my view, the bigger problem is willingness and emotional awareness. You can’t finish if you never start.
As long as blame prevails, nothing changes. Procrastination is rooted in fear. Anger keeps us in a loop of non-productive work. Also, the tendency to sweep difficult truths under the rug is destructive. We cannot fix problems when we deny that it’s there in the first place. We cannot fix what we explain away.
South Africans are actually not that bad. Racial tensions are exacerbated by politics and especially the radical left. This has been the case for years. That is not to say that we do not have other major problems to deal with. But this is why I write about inner work topics like mindfulness, emotional awareness, trauma work, etc. These things have the potential to change things on a fundamental level. But it’s not an easy fix; it’s not a quick fix. It’s a commitment to the long game. It’s a commitment to creating the change.
If you are considering leaving South Africa, I just want to say one thing: Make decisions from presence—not panic.
Related Posts: State of Consciousness Matters, Asymmetry