Last updated on November 21st, 2012 at 12:07 am
The world needs many more dreamers. Unreasonable souls who fight the urge to be ordinary. You can be one of them. Beginning today.- Robin Sharma
I have decided that as part of my dream to be an international motivational speaker, I am on a mission to reveal many of the amazing places near my city, Cape Town, South Africa and share these magical places with you.
I most recently visited the beautiful World Heritage site, Kirstenbosch.
(A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place — such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city — that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance – Wikipedia)
I dream of speaking to women all over the world in beautiful environments. There is something about the energy of certain outdoor spaces that change the way you look at the world. I am a huge fan of nature and NH sites like Kirstenbosch, where my husband took me to for my birthday supper and invited our dear friends to join us.
Kirstenbosch is the name of a famous botanical garden nestled at the foot of the Table Mountain in Cape Town
We walked around, taking in the beauty that surrounded us before going to the MOYO restaurant to enjoy African cuisine.
The Moyo Restaurant is a magical place where you can dine on delectable food while enjoying traditional African face painting, the hand washing ceremony, and African entertainment while taking in the lush Kirstenbosch Gardens.
We were surrounded by the National Botanical Gardens — my ideal setting for a birthday dinner.
The most famous of the gardens, Kirstenbosch, was founded in 1913 to preserve the country’s unique flora. It was the first botanical garden in the world with this ethos. Furthermore, what makes the gardens so famous worldwide is that (with minor exceptions) only indigenous plants are cultivated.
My friend, Catriona, had her hands washed in a traditional hand washing ceremony. The water was warm and smelled of deeply infused scented oil.
The restaurant also offered a vast amount of amazing artwork and unique food to purchase, such as Cape Honey, Cocoa, Ethiopian Coffee, and lushes oils.
I especially loved the face painting ceremony. In the image above, a beautiful waitress paints a 29 on my face. She was extremely friendly and so warmhearted.
The beauty of the Moyo restaurant is the food. The African-inspired dishes are divinely prepared, so much so that it felt as if my mom had cooked the veggies — as if each bite was made with love. The chef made an appearance as we photographed our dishes.
We told her that we are bloggers and that I was going to share my wonderful experience on 8 Women dream. I love being able to bring my dream out into the world and see the world respond back with kindness and interest.
After our main meal, we heard a hustle and bustle of pots clunking and people singing, as I turned around I saw the group approaching our table. Oh my!
They were singing a birthday song for me and my dear friend, Catriona. This was a very special moment for me because Catriona was in a car accident on her actual birth-date on the 3rd of October. She has to wear a back brace for support. Tears of joy filled my eyes at her response. These are the moments we remember most in our lives.
The workers placed feather hats on our heads and served us a dark chocolate mouse cake all the while singing and clapping their hands. Joy filled our table and it seemed as if time had stopped.
Revealing a little more of my life and the beauty that surrounds me, while enjoying my husband and good friends, was the perfect ending to the last year of my twenties.
The happiness we felt reaffirmed that it is time for me to dream bigger and just go for it.
What experiences do you enjoy that reaffirms the good that is in your life? What helps you celebrate your dream life?
Remember these truths: you deserve to enjoy this dream process; you must take time to be with those you love, to laugh, to feel joy so that you rekindle the hope that fuels your dream, and you must never give up hope. You must be willing to share your dream with those you love and the world at large. Part of the fun of my birthday was knowing that I was going to be able to share with you to a little of my world.
If you are stuck with your dream, burned out, let down, or not sure what to do next, go find the nearest piece of nature or beauty near you — even if it is looking at paintings in a museum in the middle of a big city — and go be with it. Pretend you are a tourist and take a mental vacation from your dream.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised by what happens…and you could even end up with paint on your face!
Make small adventures a part of your dream process.
And remember to just pursue it this week dreamers,
~ Sue
Credits: All images taken by Thurston Munnik and Aslam Levy.
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Sue Levy is the founder of the South African Just Pursue It Blog and Inspirational Women Initiative. She’s a motivational writer and media designer, who is obsessed with everything inspirational with a hint of geek. She thrives on teaching women how to be brave and take big chances on themselves. You can find Sue on her Twitter page @Sue_Levy.
Note: Articles by Sue may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.
