Matshona Dhliwayo's Blog

Top 15 Change the world Quotes (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. How can poverty be alleviated? When nobody eats until everyone eats at the same time.
2. Trees generously share their fruit. Bees generously share their honey. Flowers generously share their perfume. Do likewise.
3. In helping yourself, you prove you are strong; in helping others, you prove you are compassionate; in helping many, you prove you are generous; if helping everyone, you prove you are enlightened.
4. Thinkers educate the world. Dreamers inspire the world. Helpers improve the world. Doers change the world.
5. Pray for faith, hope for peace, strive for unity, and persevere for harmony.
6. One word can lift a mind. One smile can soothe a heart. One touch can heal a soul. One act can change the world.
7. Ordinary people pursue money, simple people pursue power, average people pursue fame, but extraordinary people pursue ideas.
8. Care more. Help more. Give more. Love more.
9. Take all men as your brothers, all women as your sisters, and all children as your sons and daughters.
10. Our highest deeds come from helping the lowest people.
11. See the world as it is; strive to make it as it should be.
12. Bless the world with your mind, heal the world with your heart, lift the world with your soul; elevate the world with your life.
13. If we take care of our trees, our trees will take care of us. If we take care of our animals, our animals will take care of us. If we take care of our land, our land will take care of us. If we take care of our world, our world will take care of us.
14. If you have the power to put a smile on one person’s face, you have the power to change the world.
15. The best the world has to offer comes from the best you have to give to others.

As the sun lives on when it sets in the warmth it has given to others, you too will live on in the hearts of those whose lives you have touched.

Top 15 Powerful Wisdom & Enlightenment Quotes (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. A loud mind is greater than a loud mouth.
2. A book is a small universe you can fit onto your shelf.
3. A scholar’s pen is more valuable than a warrior’s sword.
4. If you want to shine, sit before a lamp; if you want to shine brighter, sit before a fire; but if you want to shine the brightest, sit before a sage.
5. Wisdom lies at the edge of intelligence. Joy lies at the edge of happiness. Faith lies at the edge of boldness. Love lies at the edge of kindness. God lies at the edge of righteousness.
6. A step towards wisdom is a leap towards enlightenment.
7. Tell a man, he might understand; show a man, he will understand.
8. A candle that lights another does not have to work as hard to bring forth light.
9. It is easy to learn from listening, easier to learn from observing, and easiest to learn from practicing.
10. Teaching you how to grow a garden is better than giving you a thousand roses.
11. A fish is a genius in water, an eagle is a genius in air, a fox is a genius on land, and a sage is a genius in life.
12. In my youth I had three teachers: friends, enemies, and books. In my adulthood I had three professors: God, nature, and life.
13. Dream more, read more, learn more, and you will become more.
14. Your strength lies in knowledge, your power lies in wisdom, your treasure lies in understanding, and your wealth lies in life.
15. When a star falls from the sky, it is replaced by the deeds of the enlightened.

“When it’s hard to run to light, jog; when it’s hard to jog, walk; when it’s hard to walk, limp; when it’s hard to limp, crawl. As long as you are headed to light, the shackles of darkness are left behind.”
~Matshona Dhliwayo

Top 15 Change the World Quotes (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. How can poverty be alleviated? When nobody eats until everyone eats at the same time.

2. Trees generously share their fruit. Bees generously share their honey. Flowers generously share their perfume. Do likewise.

3. In helping yourself, you prove you are strong; in helping others, you prove you are compassionate; in helping many, you prove you are generous; if helping everyone, you prove you are enlightened.

4. Thinkers educate the world. Dreamers inspire the world. Helpers improve the world. Doers change the world.

5. Pray for faith, hope for peace, strive for unity, and persevere for harmony.

6. One word can lift a mind. One smile can soothe a heart. One touch can heal a soul. One act can change the world.

7. Ordinary people pursue money, simple people pursue power, average people pursue fame, but extraordinary people pursue ideas.

8. Care more. Help more. Give more. Love more.

9. Take all men as your brothers, all women as your sisters, and all children as your sons and daughters.

10. Our highest deeds come from helping the lowest people.

11. See the world as it is; strive to make it as it should be.

12. Bless the world with your mind, heal the world with your heart, lift the world with your soul; elevate the world with your life.

13. If we take care of our trees, our trees will take care of us. If we take care of our animals, our animals will take care of us. If we take care of our land, our land will take care of us. If we take care of our world, our world will take care of us.

14. If you have the power to put a smile on one person’s face, you have the power to change the world.

15. The best the world has to offer comes from the best you have to give to others.

As the sun lives on when it sets in the warmth it has given to others, you too will live on in the hearts of those whose lives you have touched. ~Matshona Dhliwayo

The Happiness Manifesto

Pledge not to complain needlessly.
Vow not to anger unecessarily.
Promise not to crititize unreasonably.
Commit to thinking positively.
Aspire to speak intelligently.
Strive to live enlightenedly.

Your happiness is in serenity.
Your contentedness is in charity.
Your righteousness is in integrity.
Your nobility is in humility.
Your innocence is in sincerity.
Your blessedness is in humanity.
― Matshona Dhliwayo

Top 15 Wisdom Quotes to help you lead a better life (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. Be slow to teach, and quick to learn. Avoid impious people, run from fools, and seek out the wise.
2. Anger slowly. Forgive quickly. Trust cautiously. Love easily.
3. Smiling through confusion is courage. Smiling through tears is strength. Smiling through pain is power. Smiling through tragedy is greatness.
4. Be gracious. Be fearless. Be patient. Be ambitious.
5. Use your talents. Do your best. Achieve your goals. Fulfill your purpose.
6. Don't speak thoughtlessly. Don't worry unnecessarily. Don't work half-heartedly. Don't spend recklessly. Don't give begrudgingly. Don't act self-centeredly. Don't live short-sightedly.
7. Be polite. Be persistent. Be patient. Be prudent.
8. Don't resist change if it is to your advantage. Don't ruin a good opportunity fixating on a bad one. Don't burn down bridges you will need to cross tomorrow. Don't expect other people to solve your problems. Don't let what's behind you dictate what's ahead of you. Don't lose sleep over anyone who doesn't lose sleep over you. Don’t let life's small arrows wound your big soul.
9. Obstacles must be overcome. Problems must be solved. Doubt must be resisted. Fear must be defeated.
10. The best opportunities sometimes have the worst appearances. The poorest people sometimes have the richest minds. The shallowest people sometimes have the deepest pockets. The quietest people sometimes have the wildest hearts. The meekest people sometimes have the greatest power. The calmest people sometimes have the uneasiest souls. The humblest people sometimes have the biggest accomplishments.
11. Less gossiping, more encouraging. Less complaining, more thanksgiving. Less criticizing, more complimenting. Less hurting, more helping. Less hating, more caring.
12. Be humble to those who praise you, pleasant to those who honor you, kind to those who cherish you, good to those who love you, and generous to those who adore you.
13. Gray hairs signify old age, not wisdom. Muscles signify strength, not health. Laughter signifies amusement, not joy. Weeping signifies pain, not weakness. Smiling signifies courteousness, not love.
14. If you have food on your table, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a dream in your heart, you have everything you need in life.
15. People can hurt you, but you must still love. People can betray you, but you can still trust. People can put you down, but you must still rise. People can oppose you, but you can still prevail.

Life is a gift; value it.

Life is a trial; endure it.

Life is a journey; complete it.

Life is a test; pass it.

Life is a task; fulfill it.

Life is an opportunity; use it.

Life is a moment; enjoy it.

Life is a mission; accomplish it.

~Matshona Dhliwayo

Top 15 Most Inspiring Quotes (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. The world is full of beauty; you are the greatest proof of this.
2. Be so warm that people mistake you for the sun, so bright that people mistake you for the stars, and so accommodating that people mistake you for the universe.
3. You may be poor, but important; uneducated, but wise; lowly, but noble; simple, but insightful; and ordinary, but great.
4. Your mind shines brightest when you enlighten others; your heart, when you encourage others; your soul, when you elevate others; and your life, when you empower others.
5. The sun rises not to be mediocre, but to shine; so should you.
6. Courage is the spear of destiny.
7. A bird in a nest is secure, but that is not why God gave it wings.
8. The harder you fall, the stronger you rise.
9. Stars do not hide from darkness. Roses do not hide from thorns. Diamonds do not hide from pressure.
10. If seeds fight their way out of darkness, you can fight your way out of anything.
11. Be like a rose; no matter how many thorns you encounter in life, bloom.
12. If you want to be strong, exercise; if you want to be wise, study; if you want to be happy, smile; and if you want to be invincible, love.
13. Wisdom makes things possible. Gratitude makes things bearable. Hope makes things manageable. Joy makes things pleasurable. Love makes things wonderful.
14. It is at midnight, not midday, that stars shine the brightest.
15. Though you are as a drop in the ocean, without you, the universe would be empty.

The harder you fall, the stronger you rise. ~Matshona Dhliwayo

8 Reasons You Should Do Work You Love (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. Self-fulfillment. More important than money, fame, and power is self-fulfillment. If you love painting, you will never be fulfilled doing something else, even if that thing earns you hundreds and thousands of dollars. The only way to feel whole is to do work you love, for work you love gives you the kind of joy and satisfaction you can’t find anywhere else.
2. You are more likely to excel. There is no greater force or power than love. When you love doing something, you are likely to spend more time doing it, inevitably becoming good at it, and are, therefore, more likely to succeed at it. Your energy for learning and executing work you love is boundless.
3. You are easier to work with. When doing something you love, you easily put petty things like ego and jealousy aside. It is about the work and not about you—about achieving the ultimate objective. As a result, you become easier to work with—easier to teach and learn from.
4. Life is better. As you spend much of your life at work, it is only natural that life becomes easier if you do work that you love. Hours you spend at work add up to days, days add up to months, and months add up to years. You might as well spend them doing work that naturally comes to you; peace will effortlessly flow from it.
5. You are more likely to add to the discipline. Throughout history, those who have either innovated or originated have had one thing in common: they immersed themselves in work they loved. This is because, when you love something, you are curious about it; when you are curious about something, you study it; and when you study it, you discover all sorts of things about it. It is no wonder, then, that doing work you love increases your chances of adding to that discipline.
6. You can achieve your highest potential. Your mind functions at its best when doing work you love; so do your heart and soul. You are able to give your finest performance, thereby achieving your highest potential in the process.
7. Financial rewards. As you are more likely to excel at doing that which you love, you are more likely to earn more doing it. The greater your love for something, the greater the energy you will pour into it. People pay well when you exert your mind at something, better when you exert all of your heart, and best when you exert all of your soul. Your financial rewards are in proportion to doing work you love.
8. You were born to do it. If you were born to do something, there’s no reason to do something else. You were born to do work you love, not work you hate. Your passions point to your purpose; your purpose points to the reason why you are still breathing. If you are not doing what you were born to do, you are no better than the dead. As you were birthed for a purpose, be inspired to live purposefully.

8 Reasons Why Brainy People Don’t Always Get to The Top (By Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. Brainy people are intelligent, but not always wise. Wisdom, not intelligence, is what truly distinguishes you in life.  Intelligence only takes you to the mountaintop, but wisdom takes you to the stars.  This is why professors are only honored for a year or two after they die, but sages are honored for centuries.
2. Creativity is more important than intelligence to many employers. The ability to provide customers new products and services is what sets companies apart.  If a ‘C’ student provides creative solutions and an ‘A’ student does not, it is highly likely that the ‘C’ student will earn the promotion.
3. Brainy people sometimes lack perseverance. They are used to easily getting A’s; they have never truly struggled, and so lack the inner strength to get to the mountaintop.  In life, those with heart certainly outdo those with ‘smart’.
4. Low E.Q (Emotional Quotient). Reading books will get you to the door; reading people will get you inside.   I.Q gets you the job; E.Q gets you the promotion.
5. They lack intellectual humility. ‘Knowledge puffs up’ an ancient Jewish Theologian observed.  Because acquiring knowledge comes easily to brainy people they may be tempted more than the rest with intellectual snobbery, which always hinders growth, as arrogance is the chief enemy of learning.
6. Not fun to be around. Brainy people are not always fun to be around, but successful people are almost always likeable people.  Whether people or ideas, people almost always buy products or ideas from people they like.  So, if one can only relate to equations or ideas, and not people, it limits one’s potential to rise to the top greatly.
7. They have fewer connections. As the old saying goes, ‘The squeakiest wheel gets the grease’; but if one is introverted, no matter how intelligent or well meaning they are, someone of lesser intellect and suspect intentions will rise above him.  It’s not only what you know, but who; introverts tend to know fewer people and therefore, have fewer connections, limiting their networking opportunities.
8. They don’t experience life. We don’t always learn the best lessons from books but from life.  Lessons other students learn outside the classroom, brainy students miss out on.  But life is the world’s greatest university, and experience is the world’s greatest professor.  If you miss out on her lectures, you will miss out on her invaluable wisdom.

20 Qualities that Will Help You Stand Out as a Leader

What is leadership? Are leaders made or born? What differentiates ordinary leaders from great ones? These are just three of the countless questions among many that contemporary philosophers, sociologists, and leadership experts have been grappling with.

Some say in order to truly understand the qualities that make leaders great, study extraordinary people like Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, and Mother Theresa. Though all these leaders had different world views, vocation, training, and resources, it is undeniable they all shared at least one or more of the traits below.

1. Courage –– People are drawn to heroes but repulsed by cowards. When we look at brave people, we see something inside of them that we desire for ourselves, which is why all great leaders stand out, even before they achieve seemingly impossible feats. Courage expands one’s potential; when it shrinks, so does the prospect of achieving success. Fear is limiting; therefore, leaders must be fearless when pursuing their limitless ambitions. Had Alexander the Great not been valiant, he wouldn’t have conquered the Persian army of 200, 000 soldiers with just 35, 000 men.

2. Integrity –– A leader is only as good as his word. No business, organization, or country can function at its highest potential if its principal lacks integrity. People are only willing to go to Hell -and- back for someone they trust. If they don’t have faith in you, you could promise them the world and they wouldn’t walk a mile for you. A great example of someone with integrity is Jesus: His disciples were willing to die for Him even long after He had died because of the faith they had in the integrity of His promises.

3. Passion –– When you love what you do and do what you love, it shows in the quality of your work. It is difficult, if not impossible, for one to greatly excel at that which he does not enjoy. Passion is the very fountain from which one gets the energy to keep going in spite of fear, obstacles, and critics. Likewise, love is the most powerful force in the universe––so powerful that philosophers, both ancient and contemporary, opine: “God is love, and love is God.” Therefore, when a leader loves what he does and does what he loves, he can expect transcendent success. Michelangelo’s passion for sculpting is what made him the leader in his field. He was so passionate about his work that he continued to work on the Sistine Chapel, even after it impaired his sight and badly injured his neck.

4. Creativity –– It is impossible to create anything new without original thoughts, so when a business or organization stops coming up with new ideas, new companies, both larger or smaller, take its place. Leaders who stand out, therefore, are highly creative.Ingenuity also enables them to do much with little, as well as to solve problems quickly. Steve Jobs is one leader who was known to display exceptional creative thinking. It was his creative leadership that saved Apple from the brink of failure when he took over in 1997. Simplifying their products and making them part of our everyday experience, Apple is now worth over $700 billion dollars.

5. Optimistic –– A leader’s task is to lift people up when they are down and to lift them even higher when they are already up. To do this, great leaders are incessantly positive; one cannot give what one does not have himself. And as a result of their perpetual optimism, they are able to take great risks and inspire others to do so, which is the only route to great accomplishments.

6. Humility –– A humble leader is willing to learn from both those who know more and those who know less than him; knowledge is often found in the least likely people and places. The humbler a leader is, therefore, the more he can learn.Modesty also sets great leaders apart; we prefer to be around people who make us feel great and who talk us up, not who talk down to us. That is why millions, even today, revere Nelson Mandela; if you were a pauper, he would talk to you as if you were a prince. Approachable, he was sought by people of all ranks; his humility attracted more followers than a general’s sword could.

7. Curiosity –– Most, if not all, of the world’s great discoveries, were made by curious people. Being inquisitive encourages one to explore what others do not, thereby increasing his or her chances of unearthing new things. They say curiosity killed the cat, but often, it has rewarded the inquisitive. Had the Wright brothers not been curious about flying, we would not have airplanes.

8. Compassion –– Like perfume, compassion draws people to––not away from––you. We only bare our hearts and souls to those we are convinced truly care. Before followers can completely invest themselves in a leader’s hopes and dreams, they must be fully convinced that the leader is fully invested in theirs. That is why Mother Theresa, though just a nun, was able to achieve so much. Her empathy for the poor and others made her irresistible, so much so that, by the time she died in 1997, I.K. Gujral, Prime Minister of India, said of her: “A beacon of light and hope for millions of poor has gone out of our lives.”

9. Adaptable –– Life is the most unpredictable entity in the universe––just about as capricious as the wind––and any leader who is not flexible will fail at his mission. When the wind blows, a tree bends, and so do remarkable leaders when unforeseen circumstances come their way. Had Cyrus the Great not adapted his battle techniques when conquering the impenetrable fortress of Babylon, he would not have been in the history books.

10. Commitment –– To accomplish great things requires great sacrifice, and great sacrifice cannot be achieved without great commitment. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa took approximately four years to complete, and Thomas Edison made 1, 000 unsuccessful attempts before he completed the light bulb. If creating works of genius requires unwavering commitment, so does leading the people you employ to create them.

11. Resilience –– If palaces were built in a day, every beggar would have one. Leaders who achieve great things, therefore, persevere greatly. Pyramids, for example, stand as a testament of what persistence can accomplish. Relentless to see their dreams come to life, the pharaohs of old have not been forgotten thousands of years after they died. A leader’s achievements are in proportion to his tenacity. That is why the winner in any battle is never the smartest, but the last one standing.

12. Wisdom –– Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. The greater the wisdom a leader possesses, therefore, the more he can accomplish. Insight enables a leader to see what others cannot, which enables him to achieve what others cannot. It also enables a leader to deal shrewdly with his opponents and wisely with his allies. Where intelligence doubles a leader’s value, wisdom triples it. King Solomon is the greatest example of this. Though he ruled over a small country surrounded by hostile kingdoms, through sagacity, he managed to outwit every ruler competing with him and ended up ruling a territory far larger than any of his predecessors.

13. Generosity –– Extraordinary leaders are generous with their time, money, knowledge, and talents. It is not what one receives that makes him great, but what one gives. And, giving is receiving inside out, so the more a leader gives, the more he receives, and the more he stands out.

14. Inspiring –– Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Oprah Winfrey all spent a significant portion of their lives inspiring people. Life is difficult for all: no one is spared from adversity, sorrow, and hardship. That is why multitudes are drawn to great leaders: they lift people up.It goes without saying: the more people a leader inspires, the more people are willing to follow him. When you lift someone up, you don’t need a gun or a sword to get them to follow you; he does so willingly.Evidence of this is Jesus.Without money, soldiers, or weapons, He managed to inspire His generation so much that, thousands of years later, Napoleon Bonaparte said of Him: “I know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world, there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour, millions of men would die for Him.”

15. Accountability –– When things go right, a leader is praised, but when they go wrong, a leader is criticized. Leaders who stand out share praise but take the blame.One who holds others responsible for his failures can never improve, and one who cannot improve can never lead, for how can one better others if one cannot better himself? And, the greater a leader’s accountability, the greater his nobility.

16. Instinctive –– Instinct is the gut feeling you have about something or someone for which you have no rational explanation. In any discipline, intuition is what separates those who succeed from those who fail. People who rise to the top are not always the smartest, but they are the most instinctive. Two people can possess the same knowledge, but one may make a different decision based solely on a hunch. Instinctively knowing when to hold, when to fold, and when to play is what separates great poker players from ordinary ones.

17. Communication –– If people don’t know what you require of them, they will never fulfill your expectations. How a leader communicates to his subordinates determines how effectively they perform. Winston Churchill was said to spend two days practicing his speech, well aware of the power of words.Even in nature, animals would not be able to hunt together, nor would birds be able to migrate as one in perfect formation, if it weren’t for communication.

18. Excellence –– The only way for a leader to stand out is to help those beneath him stand out, and the only way for a leader to do so is to practice excellence himself. In word, he must practice it; in deed, he must apply it; and in all things, he must perform it. Diligence in little things brings great rewards; diligence in big things brings extraordinary rewards. A leader’s rewards are in proportion to the quality of his leadership.

19. Charisma –– Leadership is influence; therefore to be a great leader, one must be able to draw a great number of people and to draw a great number of people, one must have charisma. No one follows anyone they dislike, but people are willing to die for those they love, only to stone those they hate instead. The greater a leader’s charisma, therefore, the greater the number of people he can draw, and the greater the things he can accomplish. Charisma is powerful––so powerful that men like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King changed the world because of it.

20. Spirituality –– Humans are spirit beings housed in a body. If you touch their minds, they will follow you; if you touch their hearts, they will fight for you; and if you touch their souls, they will even die for you. A leader who intends to achieve extraordinary things must, therefore, be spiritual, for it is from the soul that men create their highest works and do their highest deeds.There is no one willing to die for Bill Gates, but millions are ready to die for Jesus, Buddha, and Krishna, though they died more than two thousand years ago.

Top 20 Career Quotes (by Matshona Dhliwayo)

1. Dream all you will, dare all you can, and do all you must.
2. The road to success is paved with doubters and haters.
3. Don’t let the noise of mediocre people drown out the symphonies of your genius.
4. Critics are loud, but success is louder.
5. An ambitious amateur will rise above a complacent master.
6. Failing over and over again is how you learn to succeed over and over again.
7. Busy hands achieve more than idle tongues.
8. Learn more than others. Work more than others. Succeed more than others. Give more than others.
9. Leave no stone unturned and you will leave no reward unearned.
10. Don’t downgrade your dreams to upgrade your relationships.
11. The potential within you is greater than the obstacles around you.
12. Swimming against strong currents is how you prove you are a great swimmer.
13. Talent is the seed, hard work is the stem, perseverance is the branch, and success is the fruit.
14. Overnight success happens after a lifetime of sweat.
15. Tears are the sweat of champions.
16. Work hard, and you will earn good rewards. Work smart, and you will earn great rewards. Work hard and work smart, and you will earn extraordinary rewards.
17. Rest as if you’ll live forever; work as if you’ll die today.
18. Dream like a child. Reason like an elder. Play like a youth. Work like an adult.
19. If you water your dreams with excellence, success will grow.
20. “Let your work speak for itself:
If poor, it will remain silent.
If average, it will whisper.
If good, it will talk.
If great, it will shout.
If genius, it will sing.”