Are you South AfrICAN?

If you browse through social media or take a look at the news stories about South Africa for 2014 you are most likely going to become somewhat depressed. From Nkandla to Load Shedding, Oscar to Dewani or corruption, chaos and credit rating downgrades. One may find it difficult to be positive and not point fingers at all the people who are doing things wrong. The cliché of – if you pointing a finger at someone else you have three pointing back at you – comes to play here. Yes we have problems in South Africa and it would not be okay to sweep this under the carpet but we all need to ask “what can I do to make South Africa better”.

Recently while attending a business seminar, I came across a person called Nido Qubein, a multi millionaire; motivational speaker and President of High Point University. Qubein move to America with $50 in his pocket and couldn’t speak English. After seeing a short clip at the seminar I went home and watched more inspiring videos of Nido, in a few videos he spoke about the fact that at the end of the word American is the phrase I CAN. America is known the world over for “the American Dream” and the reason many people go to America is because great success happens in America. Nido reminds the Americans he speaks to that anything is possible for people in America if they have an I CAN attitude. So I asked myself the question, “how is South Africa different”, at the end of South African is the phrase I CAN. South Africa is a country that has a ‘rich’ history and a number of influential and intelligent people. We need to start rising up to say I CAN. In order for South Africa to be the great nation that it is, many of us need to ask what can I do.

I want to see South Africa prosper to a place where we can minimize the injustices that plague our society. I want to see ordinary South AfrICANS standing up and using their talents and abilities to start global business, make internationally successful music and films, write world class laws and implement world leading practices. South Africa is a country of about 52 Million people on the tip of Africa with an economy that is somewhere around the 30^th largest in the world yet four nations in the top 10 want to partner with us. BRIC countries see the great potential in the S of BRICS. South Africa is part of the G20 even though we are not in the top 20 economies. South Africans have invented a number of items used the world over and keep doing it. All of this is proof that it is possible for any South African, all you need to do is believe in yourself, and remember I CAN!

Now is not the time to blame this government, old governments or the situation you are in; it is the time to look inside and say what CAN I do. I want more people thinking about this and feel that this is the perfect opportunity for truly successful South Africans to share their I CAN stories. Can I do this alone? The obvious answer is no. Every successful person the world over will tell you how everyone needs to have partners, mentors, coaches and support in order to be a success. It starts with you and then getting a great team is vitally important. I urge you to share this story with others and spread an I CAN revolution.