Best way of dealing with a mid career crisis

Have you found yourself scrolling through Sunday night memes, wondering how you'll manage to climb out of bed in the morning? If work feels unrewarding and the thought of seeing your colleagues is anxiety-inducing, you could be facing a mid-career crisis.

Dr John Demartini says you don't have to be in the middle of your life to have a mid-career crisis – you could be a graduate in your first job and experience one. He says it doesn't mean you won't ever be successful or find the path that creates fulfilment.

There are various ways to address this feeling, and it doesn't necessarily mean quitting your job.

1. Know when you are ready for change
Sometimes it can take a full-force crisis for us to truly realise we urgently require a change of perception, or a change of action. Instead, self-reflection is an important step to gauge and monitor energy levels and enthusiasm for your job. Not wanting to get out of bed on a Monday is a clear indication that at least one or both changes are in order.

2. Interview yourself
Your life is what you make of it. No-one knows you better than you do. No-one is going to dedicate their life to your fulfilment. Ask yourself what you truly love to do and what career you truly desire. Write the answers down and try them on – after all, you're not going to marry the first person you date, so why not try a few different options to find the right fit? Your life demonstrates your highest values and a career that fulfil your highest values is essential for an inspired life.

3. Expand your mind
Take the time to read widely, research and explore areas that interest you. Observe what you spontaneously love learning about and doing. Find mentors by surrounding yourself with people you find inspiring and respect. Don't be afraid to ask for help in pursuing your interests and expanding your knowledge – a mentor can be your greatest resource.

4. Make a plan
Act and start setting out a plan to achieve your longer-term career goals. Whether it may be to transform the role of your current position, to own a business or establish a career in a different industry – determine what is required turn your dream into a reality. Some entrepreneurs began their inspiring careers in their 60s or even later, so don't be discouraged from pursuing your dream job.

5. Reinvent your role 
Instead of a complete career overhaul, it may be more beneficial to renew your interest in the role and career path you already have. Evaluate your current role and establish the areas that are more inspiring and less fulfilling and think about the new skills and knowledge you could equip yourself with to bring more meaning and inspiration to your current job.

Ask yourself how each of your present individual job responsibilities are already assisting you in achieving your highest values and long-term career goals. It is not as much about what you do, but rather how you choose to perceive what you do that counts.

6. See the solution
It is never too late to make a change and forge a new career path, but it is wise to not impulsively leap without some realistic planning and self-reflection.

Don't let age or time spent in a role trap you and deter you from acting and either transforming the career you have or finding a new career you love. The skills and experiences you have gained until this point have shaped you and will help prepare you for whichever change you chose. Sometimes finding a way of delegating uninspiring responsibilities to those more inspired to do them can be a solution.

Unathi champions #FollowTheFlag across Africa

The modern day African Renaissance woman, singer and Idols Judge Unathi along with ZA Central Registry (ZACR) encourages all Africans and the world internet community to #FollowTheFlag across the African continent. 

"The .africa domain intends to promote African businesses, people and culture on the internet and will allow Africa to actively contribute to the digital economy, I am extremely honoured to be the Ambassador for such an important initiative" says Unathi

This awareness campaign symbolises the importance of Africa finally having achieved a single platform for a united digital identity, and how this will allow the continent to both uplift itself and contribute to the global digital economy.

Speaking during the roadshow launch, H.E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission (AUC), stated that this monumental milestone will go down in history as an example of Africans from all walks of life working together to achieve a common goal and purpose. 

The roadshow to officially launch the new .africa (dotAfrica) geographic Top Level Domain (gTLD) kicked off at the 29th African Union (AU) Summit held at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, 03 July 2017. 

Wayde Van Niekerk in line to win #IAAF Athlete of the year

Wayde van Niekerk will once again be up for the prestigious male IAAF World Athlete of the Year after he made the final short-list for the second consecutive time.

He will go up against Great Britain's Mo Farah and Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2017 in Monaco on November 24.

Van Niekerk will bid to become only the second SA athlete, after former world high jump champion Hestrie Cloete in 2003, to win the coveted accolade.

Last year he missed out on the prize to iconic Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, but will hope his double-medal haul at the IAAF World Championships in London would enough to earn him the title.

Treble world champion and Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya missed out on the three-woman short-list for the second consecutive year, while world long jump champion Luvo Manyonga also missed the cut.

Its all down to the Top 6 on SAs Got Talent

The final two contestants to join the 2017 SA's Got Talent Grand Finale were confirmed last night (Sunday 5 November). Anecnote and Art Of Dance will join Amazebra, Siphokazi, Nan Hau Dancers and Just 6 in the upcoming Grand Finale, which takes place at the Soweto Theatre this coming Sunday, 12 November, at 6PM. These top 6 contestants will be competing for the title of SA's Got Talent 2017 winner and the grand prize of half a million rand courtesy of e.tv and Samsung.

It was a tight competition between the seven acts in the third semi-final with all of them giving world-class performances, but only two could be chosen to advance to the finale. Anecnote advanced to the finale when they obtained the most public votes, with Art Of Dance and Marianthe coming second and third, respectively. The judges were tasked with choosing which of the second and third-placed acts were worthy of winning a spot in the Grand Finale, with Art of Dance securing the majority vote.

e.tv head of local productions, Ziyanda Mngomezulu, has been thoroughly impressed by the talent that came out to compete in this year's competition. 'We have seen all types of talent from all over the country compete for a coveted spot in the finale and now we will see who South Africa wants as their next big star. The power is now in the viewer's hands to vote for their favourite contestant this coming Sunday and the channel is excited to see who our viewers will choose.' says Mngomezulu. 

The Top 6 Finalists that will compete this Sunday at the Soweto Theatre for the grand prize of R500 000 and the 2017 SA's Got Talent title, courtesy ofe.tv and Samsung, are:

Amazebra
Location: Kwa-Zulu Natal
Act: Traditional Zulu Dance Group
Amazebra youth organization was born in 2010 in Ntuzuma, formed by a group of young enthusiastic men with the objective of mobilising resources together to make a living by showcasing their talent and culture. Amazebra youth organization is managed and controlled by its members, for their benefit. They have a passionate vision to make cultural performing art more accessible to audiences in South Africa and across the world. The group has grown over the last few years and now operates in three provinces: Kwa Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape.

Siphokazi
Location: Daveyton, Johesnnburg
Act: Opera Singer
Siphokazi is studying a B.Tech in Vocal Art and is mum to a four year-old. She started singing when she was 12 years old, having found out that she had T.B in her spine and undergoing two spinal fusion operations. She will forever suffer back and chest pains because of the screws in her spine, with the limited movement in her spine a slight hindrance to her ability to perform certain notes.

Nan Hau Dancers
Location: Bronkorstspruit
Act: Chinese Performance Art Group
Nan Hau Academy is a non-profit organisation based in Bronkhorspruit, where girls from across South Africa live and learn the principles of Chinese culture. From Mandarin classes to meditation and dance lessons, the Nan Hua Academy girls are learning how to live by the principles of the Buddha – Speak good things / Do good Deeds / Think good Thoughts. The Girls learn to fuse Chinese dance and performance styles with traditionally African performances, to create cross-cultural amalgamation.

Just 6
Location, Edenvale, Johannesburg
Act: A capella group
Just 6 have their roots in gospel music. They call their sound 'Afro-cal-play' (African Vocal Play) a mixture of African indigenous sounds as well as smooth harmonies. Just 6 have won Best a capella group at the CrownGospel Music Awards, Best a capella album at the Independent National Gospel Music Awards and Best Religious Song and Best Religious Album at the 2014 Contemporary A capella Recording Awards. After their theatre audition, 2 members left the group and they have since managed to secure two new members to allow them to continue to spread their Afrocalplay sound.

Anecnote
Location: Cape Town
Act: A capella group
Anecnote are a group of 5 dynamic vocalists who all have one thing in common; music. They met three years ago while singing in the UCT choir and through their love for a capella, Anecnote was born. Each member of the group has a different function which moulds into the unique sound that is Anecnote. The group has also released music which is available on digital platforms and have created a strong fan base, called the 'Anecfamily'. 

Art Of Dance
Location: Ennerdale, Johannesburg
Act: Lyrical Dance Crew
After Nicole completed her studies at TUT, she decided to give back to her community and create a safe haven for kids who were confronted by poverty and addiction. The music the group uses in their routines is lyrically and spiritually driven to convey a strong message of unity and love for audiences. The group started in 2014 and continues to grow in numbers and support. 

The second and thrid place runner-up contestants will also receive cash prizes courtesy of Samsung. 

The SA's Got Talent Grand Finale will broadcast from 6PM to 7PM on Sunday 12 November, with the live results show following at 7:30PM, on the same night. 

Khune not yet out #Bafana's penultimate match against #Senegal

He lay on the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium pitch with his head in his hands, and was rolling round on the ground, writhing in pain.

But one thing we know about Itumeleng Khune is that he is a fighter, and he is proving that now.

Khune had to be taken off on a stretcher in the closing stages of Kaizer Chiefs' 1-0 Telkom Knockout quarter-final victory over Chippa United in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, and we all feared the worst.

The Kaizer Chiefs captain had been involved in a massive collision with Chippa United star Kurt Lentjies. Khune had caught the ball just before Lentjies, who seemingly was unable to avoid the contact and clattered into Khune – pulling the goalkeeper by the neck in trying to break his own fall.

Both players stayed down and received treatment, and Daniel Cardoso eventually replaced his skipper in goal.

But after displaying irresistible form over the last few weeks, it appeared as if Khune's rotten luck with injuries would strike again and rule him out of yet another vital set of Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana take on Senegal this Friday in Polokwane (7pm) and then on Tuesday again in Dakar, and need Khune between the sticks to give themselves the best possible chance of victory.

Kaizer Chiefs announced on Monday morning that "Captain Itu has a fracture to a bone in his face. He will see a specialist regarding this and we will update you after".

So that means that Khune has not yet been officially withdrawn from the Bafana camp.

The SA Football Association announced on Monday that most of the national team players have reported to camp in Polokwane, except for the Chiefs players who were travelling from Port Elizabeth.

More will be revealed at 3pm on Monday, when Bafana will hold a press conference in Polokwane.

©IOL

Thando Thabethe launches underwear and shapewear range

Actress, TV presenter and radio personality Thando Thabethe launched her underwear and shapewear range last night at a star-studded event that brought the sexy to Johannesburg's skyline, as guests arrived in their best "pyjama chic" outfits to celebrate with the star.

Invitees were treated to a mix of cocktails from sponsor Cîroc, while watching "real women" walk the runway in Thabooty's shapewear and underwear. Body positivity was the theme of the night, as the women confidently showcased the new collection without a care for stretch marks, cellulite or the odd thigh-wobble. #IAmWoman is the message Thabethe hopes to bring across with her line of underwear, which includes a blend of pieces that resemble lingerie – adding a tantalising edge to underwear meant for women of all sizes – demonstrating that your measurements shouldn't be a factor when it comes to you being able to feel desirable. A point Thabethe was quick to make, however, is that the range was not created for men to look at, but for women to enjoy for themselves in order to feel irresistible when standing in the mirror in nothing but their Thabooty's garments.

"I wanted to create something women wouldn't be ashamed to wear, and something that would meet my functional needs. Whether it was to even out, control or contour, I needed something that wouldn't roll down my body or make me feel like I was wearing a blanket underneath my clothes," states Thabethe.

Photography courtesy of Austin Malema

The range also includes cute and sporty pieces with the word "Thabooty's" adorning large sections of the collection's bra and panty straps, reminiscent of luxury clothing brand, Moschino's, branding emblazoned on its most popular skivvies. And while Thabethe's fun and sexy creations were undoubtedly the showstoppers of the collection, the smattering of functional foundation pieces for women looking to hide bumps and gain support means she is serious about gaining a share of the underclothing market.

You can grab some Thabooty's gear at: thandothabethe.com

Stone Fruit Farmers Develop Waterwise Strategy

Stone Fruit Farmers are tackling the Western Cape drought with optimism and positivity, believing that the dire situation can be turned to their advantage.  The silver lining in the drought's cloud for fruit farmers is that the quality of fruit grown under water scarce conditions is usually very good with high sugar levels and great taste. Some growers have also reported enough water to at least see through most of the summer season.

Hortgro, the body that represents the Stone Fruit Association of South Africa, recently presented an irrigation seminar to equip producers with tools and strategies to alleviate the drought impact and also shared another strategy that has been developed by a Ceres fruit grower. These strategies involve ranking and allocating water to orchards according to profitability resulting in optimal irrigation of highly profitable orchards and the removal of unproductive orchards.

The seminar also revisited the basic principles of irrigation design and planning. Many growers brought forward their plans to remove older, less productive orchards over the next couple of years in order to stretch the water available to them as far as possible.

Fruit producers are resilient and have recently been using technology much more actively and effectively in managing their water, irrigation systems and orchards. Water has always been a limited resource and the experience honed in past seasons has helped to hone the growers' skills to make every drop count.

These strategies will be reassessed during monthly water budget meetings.

#Migos to perform live in South Africa and #EveryonesInvited by @SmirnoffSA #MigosCultureTour

In South Africa, one of the greatest things about music is that it brings people together regardless of race, gender, sexuality and demographics. Through the power of music, good drinks and good times, Smirnoff will move the next generation of South Africans to be more inclusive #EveryonesInvited.

When they came out with their good-time anthem, Versace, back in 2013, Migos took the world by storm and solidified their status as trap royalty. Their music brings people together, making the Migos Culture Tour a perfect fit with Smirnoff. Fast forward to 2017 and the BET award-winning trap trio will take to the stage in Mzansi for the first time presented by Smirnoff.   

You don't have your ticket yet? Go toticketpros.co.za to get your ticket for the concert in Durban at the International Convention Centre (ICC) on Friday, 20 October or at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg on Saturday, 21 October. Whether you're a die-hard Migos fan, a trap queen, or just looking for a dope concert, #MigosCultureTour is where it's at and Everyone's Invited courtesy of Smirnoff!

South African megastars Nasty C, AKA and Riky Rick will be there to start the hype so be there when the doors open at 5pm - you don't want to miss it.

Gather your squad, grab the new Smirnoff 1818 Apple, the hottest drink out there this summer and enjoy the concert!

#WiFi WPA2 security cracked. All platforms vulnerable

An attacker could now read all information passing over any wifi network secured by WPA2, which is most routers, both public and private.

All platforms are vulnerable, but the paper notes that Android 6.0 and later - along with Linux - is a particularly easy target, an attack against these devices being described as 'trivial' ...

We discovered serious weaknesses in WPA2, a protocol that secures all modern protected Wi-Fi networks. Attackers can use this novel attack technique to read information that was previously assumed to be safely encrypted.

Android, Linux, Apple, Windows, OpenBSD, MediaTek, Linksys, and others, are all affected by some variant of the attacks.

With Android and Linux, an attacker doesn't even have to do that much work: the attacker can simply reset the encryption key.

The good news is that Vanhoef says that WPA2 can be patched to block the attack, and the patch will be backward compatible. Once a patch is available for your router, you should update the firmware without delay.

Zuma's #CabinetReshuffle - Whose in and whose out?

President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday announced six changes to his national executive.

Zuma  has reshuffled his cabinet for the second time this year. 

Blade Nzimande has been fired as Minister of Higher Education and Training Minister.

The following changes were made: 

1. Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize is the Minister of Higher Education and Training
2. Ms Ayanda Dlodlo is the Minister of Home Affairs
3. Ms Mmamaloko Kubayi is the Minister of Communications
4. Mr David Mahlobo is the Minister of Energy
5. Adv. Bongani Thomas Bongo is the Minister of State Security
6. Mr Buti Manamela is the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training.

"I thank the former members of the National Executive for good service in their previous portfolios," Zuma said.

"I wish the members who are assuming new portfolios all the best in their new responsibilities."