Becoming Mandela: Recent Episodes
Trevor Waldock
Have you ever wondered who you are becoming; or what your legacy might be? We are all destined to leave some kind of legacy, but the question is, are you being intentional about the legacy you are going to leave behind?
Dave Courteen, leader & author, discusses with Trevor Waldock, social entrepreneur, mentor & communicator, his latest book Becoming Mandela – Be Your Legacy.
Using the life of Mandela as an illustration, each episode tracks the chapters of the book to inspire and shed some light on how we use every day as a classroom to develop the heart & character of a legacy-leaver.
This is the final podcast in this series. Dave and Trevor reflect on the past six months of working through the twenty four episodes of "Becoming Mandela" and share their own personal insights and leave some final challenges around eldership and becoming the best version of ourselves. There is an ancient piece of wisdom that declares - "without vision people end up in hopelessness" - and the hope is that "Becoming Mandela" has provided every listener with some vision and some hope for their future.
Oh, and by the way, you don't want the miss the very end of this episode! We think it is a fitting conclusion.
Thanks for listening and being part of the pod!
We often talk about people not showing up in a sporting context but how often do we not show up in life? The brain is, without doubt, the most under utilised resource in our body. We have so much potential in our minds, our bodies, our spirit and our talents but do we make the most of it? As we review this final chapter of Becoming Mandela, we explore how we can really focus on showing up in all its glorious, fullest extent to the world in which we live.
So, despite the title, this episode isn't just about growing up. I mean, we all grow up don't we - that's just life and nature? No, this episode explores how we can grow up fruitfully. How do we cut through and cut out all the challenges and difficulties that life throws at us, all the hurt and pain caused my our experiences, to become just the best version of ourselves. This is a powerful, thought-provoking and challenging listen but we think you will find it so helpful in your own personal journey.
Do you sometimes feel worn down by the repetitiveness of life? Have you ever wondered if there is more to life than the work, eat, sleep pattern we can caught up with? This episode looks at how we can truly wake up to our true potential and live life to the full. It reminds us that this is not a dress rehearsal, we just get one shot at life. Trevor and Dave explore how we need to learn to listen to the signals that life send us and respond to the "wake up" calls that we get thrown at us from time to time.
We promise that this will be another fascinating and thought provoking episode in Becoming Mandela.
Elton John once sang that "sorry seems to be the hardest word" and we think he was pretty perceptive. Why is it that we find it so hard to apologise? And, why is our difficulty with apologising so damaging to our ability to be the best version of ourselves? In this deeply personal and rich podcast, Trevor explores why we need to start with learning to apologise to ourselves whilst acknowledging that, as a generation, we also probably owe an apology to our children and grandchildren. Listening to this episode may well hold the key to helping you understand how to get better at relationships and, maybe, at life.
Have you ever put off a conversation with a friend or a loved one because you knew it wasn't going to be the easiest of discussions? Well, this podcast delves into why those conversations are so important to our learning and to our journey to become the best version of ourselves. Trevor and Dave discuss how we can have these disruptive conversations in a constructive way. It's a powerful and honest listen.
By the way, in this podcast Trevor talks about his Youth Compass Project and if you need the link to the website then here it is. Weblink for Youth Compass Project
Quite simply, Ubuntu can be summarised as "I am because we are." Steeped in African culture, it is a philosophy that recognises that I can't be the best version of me without involving others. It recognises that we live in a world of interdependance.
Ubuntu is completely counter-cultural to the way we are expected to live our lives in the Western world. It questions the validity of the concept that life is all about what I achieve by myself. It debunks the myth that life is all about measuring our success through comparison to others rather than what we can collectively achieve together.
We think you will find this a fascinating insight that will change your perspective on how you measure your success at work, in relationships and with parenting.
You will finish this episode and be left contemplating who is on your "team."
Ubuntu, it is a wonderful way to live your life.
In this thought provoking episode, Trevor and Dave discuss why to practice forgiveness is to practice the art of being human. We explore why, in order to forgive others we may actually need to learn to forgive ourselves first. There is discussion on why forgiving those who have wronged us is important in our own recovery from damaging or difficult situations.
And, of course, we explore how Nelson Mandela modelled forgiveness in the way he forgave his oppressors once he was released from prison. We discover how the ending of apartheid was rooted in acts of forgiveness.
If you want to get better at life and maybe lose some of the baggage we all carry around with us, then please listen in.
So we all know that "discipline" can seem a dirty word but in this episode we will learn why it is an essential skill to help us achieve our purpose. Discipline is actually all about asserting control over your destiny so Trevor unpacks some ideas on how we can add more discipline to the key areas of our life that will benefit most from this approach.
We don't often talk about our grounding or our gravitas but that is what this episode is all about. Although it is not a trait we often consider or look to develop, our grounding will have a huge impact on our relationships and our work life. In this episode Trevor looks at the three aspects that can effect our impact on others. We look at our authority, our presence and our impact; three characteristics that can be so important to ensure we don't get overlooked for the next career move or can help us deepen the relationships that matter most to us.
So, listen in, this is one more episode in the Becoming Mandela series that helps us to understand how we own our own story and how we can become the best version of ourselves.
So can everyone be a leader? In this episode Trevor and Dave discuss how we can all lead our own lives but we just need to take control of our own stories. We discuss how we can grab hold of the pen to make sure that we are telling our story.
We look at Gardner's definition of leadership which is that "leadership is the ability to tell a story that affects the thoughts, feelings and actions of others"
What does that mean for each of us and how do we make sure that we are living out the story we want to tell.
In short, this is a podcast for everyone who wants to feel on control of their lives and who doesn't want that?
Resilience is often thought of as our ability to bounce back. In this episode, Trevor and Dave consider whether the tough experiences in life can actually make us stronger, whether we can do more than just bounce back.
Do we all need tough times to truly reach our potential?
How best can we prepare for the tough situations that may be heading our way in the future?
Vision - we've all heard of companies with their vision statements written on reception walls or website home pages but have you ever thought about what your own personal vision is?
In this fascinating look at how we develop our vision for our lives, Trevor will talk about developing our thrid eye, using strategies employed by artists, as well as considering how our vision changes our legacy.
You will also be captivated by the story of Dandora in Africa. A town transformed by the collective vision of it's young inhabitants.
This is an episode not to be missed!
Is wisdom just a combination of knowledge and experience or is it something so much more than that? Can we all become more wise? Do we need to be old before we can considered wise? In this podcast Trevor looks at these questions and many others as we try to analyse what other attributes we might need to deepen our wisdom including humility and curiousity.
You'll not want to miss this episode of Becoming Mandela and Trevor will leave you with some personal challenges to consider how you can grow your wisdom.
We've all heard of the mantra "feel the fear and do it anyway", but is that what courage is really all about? In this episode, Trevor and Dave explore how we can all grow our courage muscle; they look at why rights of passage are so important to help us get through the most difficult times and discover how we can get over our most deep-rooted fears.
Courage is the value that makes everything happen and Churchill once said that courage is the value upon which we build all other values. We're sure you'll find this a fascinating insight into how we can all be more courageous in all aspects of our lives.
We all know that growing up is inevitable but what about growing down? In this fascinating episode, Trevor explores why we sometimes need to get beyond the trivial to find our best version of ourselves. We discuss how we grow a deeper consciousness of who we are and how we can best fit into the world we live in. So, if you would like to learn how we can get the best out of ourselves by waking up, growing up, cleaning up and showing up then this podcast is for you.
It's time to have a deep dive on depth ...
No matter who we are or what we do, we can all be inspirational. In this podcast Trevor looks into the root of the word inspire and reminds us that that the key to being inspirational is that we should breathe out what we breathe in. What we are learning, reading and investing our time in will be the areas that we can inspire others in. We promise that this is a podcast episode that will encourage you and, naturally, inspire you too!
Do you understand ego, or more specifically, the way it affects our behaviour? In this podcast Trevor talks about ego and aspiration. It's a discussion that is all about making sure we don't let our personal ego stop us from being the best possible version of ourselves. It's about working out what we need to deal with so we can achieve our goals.
Have you ever wanted to paint? Or maybe you'd love to learn a musical instrument or a foreign language? Perhaps you really feel like you are in the wrong job and you'd love to do something completely different? What are you like at new years resolutions too?
Well, in this episode, Trevor Waldock outlines how we can be intentional about what we do. How we can turn our hopes and dreams into reality. This is a powerful insight into developing some key life skills that will help us to live our best lives.
What is your passionate purpose? When you reflect, deep down, what are the things that make you angry and want to change the status quo? For Mandela, he was driven by a sense of justice and an unshakeable determination to end aparthied.
In this podcast, Trevor talks about how our life journey is impacted by the "push" from us on life and the "push" from life on us. How do we manage that and how do we ensure we pursue our passionate purpose, irrespective of the challenges that get thrown at us.
At the end of every podcast, we will leave you with a set of questions to challenge you or to help start a conversation about what has just been discussed in the episode. Here are your questions for this podcast:
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What makes you angry in the world? What grieves you? What motivates you? What wakes you up? What give you joy? What gets under your skin? What need or opportunity have you seen that just won't go away? What do you feel the world needs from you, is asking of you?
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If you described what the passionate purpose of your life is.... what would you say? How is that demonstrated in your life right now?
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Where can you begin to do something small, anything, to speak into the need that has caught your attention?
Are you ever tempted to just settle for what you have? Does retirement for you mean the chance to just kick back and enjoy life without thinking about what you could give? Well, this episode is designed to challenge you to think about just how much you can continue to give. In the modern day world we live in, it is easy sometimes to just settle and not look for the next challenge.
Mandela to very end of his life was always talking about the next mountain that he needed to conquer. He epitomised the ideal that you achieved a goal; climbed a mountain and then paused to celebrate and recover before then moving on to the next one.
Do not linger is the perfect phrase for someone who always wanted to give and achieve more.
We think you will find this podcast challenging and thought provoking in equal measure.
At the end of every podcast, we will leave you with a set of questions to challenge you or to help start a conversation about what has just been discussed in the episode. Here are your questions for this podcast:
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Do you see examples of people who you know got “older” but not “elder”? What do you notice about them and what can you learn from them?
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Why do you think older people linger too long in their life journey of development? What can you learn from this?
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Where do you see your own greatest danger in your life-journey, in lingering too long?
Trevor and Dave discuss why the personal story of Mandela and who he became, can become the blueprint for how we can be the best that we can be. Have you ever thought about the type of person you want to be at 80 years old? Have you ever wondered about your legacy? Trevor explains why it is never too soon to start planning what your legacy could be.
At the end of every podcast, we will leave you with a set of questions to challenge you or to help start a conversation about what has just been discussed in the episode. Here are your questions for this podcast:
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Talk with someone about who you think you are and who you think you are becoming.
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If you could change, in any clear way (like Mandela went from angry to kind), what one area would you most like to be known for?
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Who would you name as the eight-year-old (roughly), that you would like to become and why?
Who do you turn to when life gets challenging? Who is there to guide you when you reach life situations you have never faced before. In this episode Trevor Waldock, author of Becoming Mandela, explains the importance of Elders in the development of the character of Nelson Mandela. We also look at why it is never too early to prepare for our role of eldership and how that role should be the next step for todays leaders. Why is it that Elders are the missing persons of today's western culture?
At the end of every podcast, we will leave you with a set of questions to challenge you or to help start a conversation about what has just been discussed in the episode. Here are your questions for this podcast:
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What did you (young or older) learn from specific older people in your life?
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What would you like to have learned / be learning from those who are older?
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Do you think there is a role for elders in our generation? Why are there so few around these days?
The first podcast in a series that looks at Trevor Waldock's fascinating book, "Becoming Mandela", whihc encourages us to discover how we can become the best version of ourselves. It inspires us to think about the legacy we are creating and it uncovers how we can apply the lessons learnt from observing how Mandela became the iconic figure that changed a nation.
In this edition, Trevor talks to podcast host, Dave Courteen, about his time in South Africa and how he was influenced to write the book as delved deep into Mandela's life.
This podcast series will draw on the influences of Mandela but it is much more about offering you a journey of discovery of who you could become, of the legacy you create and discovering how you can become the best version of yourself.
At the end of every podcast, we will leave you with a set of questions to challenge you or to help start a conversation about what has just been discussed in the episode. Here are your questions for this podcast:
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As you reflect on your life (young or old), who do you look up to as a role model of growing old well?
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What are the characteristics and virtues of older people who you most admire?
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What do you know of their personal history that may have shaped the person they became / are becoming?
Based on, Becoming Mandela - Be Your Legacy, a book written by social entrepreneur, mentor and communicator, Trevor Waldock, this podcast will challenge you to think about who you are becoming and the legacy you will leave behind.
It's a podcast designed to start a conversation on how we can become a better version of ourselves.
Using the life of Mandela as an illustration and Trevor’s wide experience in 3 continents, each episode tracks the chapters of the book to inspire and shed some light on how we use every day as a classroom to develop the heart & character of a legacy-leaver.