Pondering..
The most common greeting in the Zulu tribe is Sawubona. It literally means
“I see you, you are important to me and I value you”
It’s a way to make the other person visible and to accept them as they are with their virtues, nuances, and flaws. In response to this greeting, people usually say “Shiboka”, which means “I exist for you”.
The most common greeting in western cultures is Hello! How are you? we say it so quickly, and with no feeling or regard for the others reaction. The Zulu people have found a way to reach the other person's soul, and affectionately address them. This slower more intimate greeting resembles a much more sincere comradeship to one another.
Sawubona, reminds us to authentically understand each other and trust one another.
Curious as it may seem, the term Sawubona acquired importance in the 90s because of an engineering book. In The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter Senge, a professor at Stanford University, spoke of the Zulus and the magnificent way they interact with one another. He wrote about how they handled problems with one another. He also said that they’d likely become one of the most powerful civilizations in Africa.
Sawubona symbolizes the importance of directing our attention to another person. It exists to remind us to understand others without prejudice and to leave grudges behind. The term reminds us to be aware of other people’s needs and to give importance to individuals within a group. It also helps us think about integrating ourselves into our communities and valuing them.
There is immense beauty in this simple but profound gesture.
Thought-provoking...
The concept of confident Humility has never been more important than in our present circumstance.
“Confidence is positive and empowering, but arrogance is deadly”
— Ralph Marston
Read the full script from the motivation journal article on Confident Humility
“What would this look like if it were easy?”
This is a truly thought provoking question to ask yourself in any situation. I recognise that any growth is painful, but there are a number of routes that you can take to achieve the same objective. The idea behind asking this question, is to discover the least painful route.
This is the question that inspired Tim Ferriss to write “Tribe of Mentors”
Tim had previously convinced himself that if he wasn’t pushing boundaries, he wasn’t trying hard enough. But this question made him wonder: “What if I reframed things in terms of elegance instead of strain?”
Tim reached out to his dream list of interviewees and asked them the very questions he was struggling with himself (more about this on my previous blog - click here)
The result of this book is a deconstruction of the tools, routines, and tactics from 130 of the world’s top performers. This book is a masterpiece on the secrets of success and happiness, and if life is getting you down right now, the chances are you will find a solution in there.
The idea behind this booking, and the inspiration to read it comes from the fact that every question is answered in a different way by different people, in so doing we are able to explore the world from a 100 different viewpoints not only ours.
George Bernard Shaw, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Well, you’re creating yourself with every decision you make. And you’re making decisions every second of everyday.
It’s in the creation piece that we make conscious decisions that will determine the way in which we respond to the world and that in turn determines the person we become and emotions we feel.
Our reaction is in our total control.
Another context in which you can explore various points of view, ideas and context is by reading.
My reading list is always growing instead of shrinking,
even though I average reading a book per week. everyday it seems like I stumble on another great read.
Reading is what inspires me most but also what teaches me the most important lessons I’ve learned in my life.
“Read more. It allows you to borrow someone else’s brain…”
— Mathew Dicks
The idea of borrowing someone’s brain, understanding a different perspective and learning from the insights of another individual, is what inspires me to read more and more
I believe I have borrowed some exceptional brains over the years and implemented many of those learnings in my life. Through this weekly bullet I attempt to share a number of these ideas and thoughts.
Widget of the Week...
Sprouting
"I have always reckoned myself as a foodie, but over the years I’ve veered towards eating to live as opposed to living to eat."
— PS
Sprouting is a process of germinating seeds or beans to create sprouts which can be eaten cooked or raw (depending on the type). Sprouts are often added to salads, stir frys and other dishes.
Sprouts are an ultra-food for health, weight loss, and optimum nutrition. Sprouts are the most underrated nutritious food that deserves your attention.
Most types of nuts, grains and seeds can be sprouted and many can be easily sprouted at home with minimal equipment.
It is estimated that there are up to 100 times more beneficial enzymes in sprouts that in raw vegetables. The rapidly growing sprouts need these enzymes for their own growth and cellular health make them beneficial for us as well.
Sprouts are also an excellent source of enzyme inducers that protect against chemical carcinogens
Doug Evans "the Sprout Guru" He is crazy about sprouts and wants you to be too. As a long-time vegan and author of the recently-released book The Sprout Book: Tap Into the Power of the World’s Most Nutritious Food
Doug Evans brings the knowledge to the masses with his book, which delivers the what, when, where, why and how of sprouting, along with 40 delicious recipes to help integrate them into your daily diet.
Greens of all varieties are great. But when you take a few steps back to the seed, whether it’s kale, radish or broccoli--and sprout it--nutrients are multiplied exponentially, making sprouts the champion of superfoods.
Sprouts are nutrient dense and high in calories so they will keep you full for longer.
Sprouts are versatile in that you can add them to just about anything—smoothies, salads, cereals, snacks, and you can season them with all sorts of herbs and spices, especially Cayenne pepper and Turmeric.
Pro tips on how to sprout:
Always use organic seeds that were designed for sprouting and that have been tested for pathogens. Otherwise, they could be sprayed with pesticides. Organic sprouting seeds are the creme de la creme of seeds: they’re the freshest seeds with the highest germination rate. A High germination rate is important because if the seeds don't germinate they could mold.
Try small amounts of different seeds to test what works for you. Although sprouting is simple, it's easy to make little mistakes, and it’s always better to do so quickly with little waste. First, try a tablespoon or so of seeds. You’ll know in 2 or 3 days if you’ve gotten the hang of it.
Remember to let your sprouts dry. When you’re done sprouting, it's very important to let them dry out for several hours before storing them in the refrigerator. If you put them into the refrigerator wet, they could get moldy.
Start off with broccoli or alfalfa seeds, which are really easy to sprout, then move to legumes like lentils, peas and mung beans. Sprouting legumes decreases their lectin content and makes them overall incredibly nutritious.
To learn more about the how-tos of sprouting, The Sprout Book contains everything you need to know about nutritional benefits as well as the best practices. It also contains 40 delicious recipes.
There are a variety of different sprouts, including bean, broccoli, beets, and pea sprouts. The nutritional value of the many types differ, but they’re typically rich in many vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. “They are high in vitamin K, many B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, folate, and pantothenic acid, as well as vitamin C and vitamin A.
“Sprouts are the young greens, typically only days old, whose seeds have just germinated and begun to develop stems and leaves only a couple of inches in length,” says William Li, MD, a physician-scientist and author of Eat To Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.
6 Benefits of Sprouts That Will Make You Want to Add Them to Your Plate
1. Sprouts help you fight illness and are anticancer
Raw sprouts, especially broccoli sprouts, are rife with antioxidants. “Broccoli offers an incredible amount of glucoraphanin, the precursor to the compound sulforaphane,” Shapiro says. “Sulforaphane helps activate and strengthen our body’s natural cancer protection and helps decrease the chance of malignancy.”
In other words, broccoli sprouts may help protect the body against cancer by reducing the spread of cancerous cells and supporting the body to eliminate harmful substances. Shapiro adds, “broccoli sprouts are about 50 times more powerful in cancer prevention than their mature counterpart.”
2. Sprouts help with hormones, acne, and PMS
The sulforaphane found in broccoli sprouts, along with Indole-3-carbinol, which many cruciferous veggies contain, help women’s bodies maintain healthy and balanced oestrogen levels.
“Indole-3-carbinol helps assist the liver with the detoxification of excess hormones,” Dr. Denniston says. “[It can also] can help reduce symptoms of PMS, irregular periods, and hormonal acne. Sulforaphane helps shift oestrogen metabolism to the most healthy biochemical pathway and may protect against oestrogen-mediated damage.”
3. Sprouts support healthy digestion
Raw sprouts are also good for your gut. “Studies have shown that the soaking process actually increases the amount of enzymes available to the sprout, and increases the amount of fiber in the sprout,” Shapiro says. The fiber, which helps food pass through the GI tract smoothly, combines with these enzymes to help break down food more efficiently, making sprouts a great digestion-friendly addition to your diet.
4. Sprouts reduce hangover symptoms
Had one too many glasses of wine? Snacking on some raw sprouts may help you feel better. “Sulforaphane also helps the body eliminate alcohol by-products that cause unpleasant hangover symptoms,” Dr. Denniston says. “It does this by up regulating the second phase of detoxification in the liver and reduces the accumulation of by-products that have been metabolised by the first stage of detoxification, which usually causes symptoms like nausea.”
5. Sprouts improve insulin resistance
For folks who struggle with insulin resistance, sprouts may be a helpful addition to their diet. “Researchers studied 63 patients with type 2 diabetes who consumed broccoli sprouts or a placebo and found that those who ate sprouts had improvement in insulin resistance, a key factor in type 2 diabetes where the body’s response to insulin can help improve control of blood glucose,” Dr. Li says.
6. Sprouts boost the immune system
In addition to helping to maintain balanced oestrogen levels and reducing hangover symptoms, the natural bioactive sulforaphane compound in sprouts also helps activate the body’s immune response against viruses.
“In a clinical study of 29 patients receiving a flu vaccine, half were given a broccoli sprout shake,” says Dr. Li. “Those who drank the shake had more potent immune cell function, and increased production by immune natural killer (NK) cells of an enzyme called granzyme B, which helps to remove virus-infected cells from the body.”
Example of immune boosting:
Broccoli sprouts release a phytochemical called sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane [a phytochemical] is absolutely incredible. It heals the gut, reduces inflammation, and [could help] fight cancer. Broccoli sprouts have a much higher amount of sulforaphane than mature broccoli, which is why going the sprouted route versus using mature broccoli is far more beneficial.
Sprouts are high in a variety of compounds that help protect the body. When a person consumes a sprout, he or she is essentially consuming the entire plant and getting all the benefits of that plant.
What will you be sprouting this weekend?