Kondwani's Reflections on Self Discovery: Recent Episodes
Kondwani
I believe in love, I believe in young married couples. Let's celebrate love and kill the negative narratives around marriage.I share some insight into navigating the journey into adulthood, dealing with issues that will allow you to heal and discover your true purpose. I have a good mix of panel discussions and poetry.
A handful of people know my darkest parts. Sometimes I actively choose chaos and violence. At such a time, I say hello to darkness my redeemer.
Originally written on the 22nd of September 2015.
Powerful reflection on how I use poetry to reflect and let go of some of the darkest moments in my life. Poetry is transient and allows me to capture and express a moment in time and space.
I love poetry and the art of using words to express energy and frequencies that resonate with others souls.
When going through the darkness and heavy storms, you need an anchor.
Someone or something that will hold you onto reality, keep you grounded and stable. Solitude is not the solution when in the midst of hell and darkness.
Reflecting on Black Tax.
According to the Urban Dictionary, it's “the extra money that black professionals are expected to give every month to support their less-fortunate family and extended families" and I would like to add that this takes place once you start working or earning a living (which could be in university too)
Black Tax in my terms is the duty that one has to serve to uplift one's family, either by taking care of the siblings or family, in other instances, it means getting your family a dignified shelter.
It was my sole motivator to succeed in everything from high school to university and even in the workplace. As good as it motivates, it also demotivates and comes with a heavy price...
Sadly being the one that can afford, means you can afford credit, DO NOT go down that rabbit hole!!!!!!!
Every guy wants to date a savage...classy, bougie and ratchet
An all-rounder and someone that is a go-getter
**A lightworker is someone that holds the power to bring good vibes, able to pull you out from the darkness, these are people we need when we are feeling down, and they spread love and good vibrations <3
Filled with so much power, there also lies a responsibility to use it wisely...always recharge, refill, and most of all to never pour out from an empty your cup.
Appreciate a fellow lightworker when you see one. Love and kindness are what the world needs. Remember to use your God-given gifts to spread the light <3**
- There is no manuscript when it comes to love.
- There is no right or wrong way to love.
- It is the fear of the unknown that is scary.
- I choose to pray to God for I know not, of what tomorrow holds #DFTP
Season 5 is dedicated to nothing but love and reflections on romance.
I choose to focus my vibrations on a higher frequency. When you choose love over war, the universe attracts nothing but blessings and positive energy in abundance.
#PoetryIsn'tDead #RomanceIsntDead
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We all love the weekend vibes, but how many of us love the weekday vibes???
Well in this episode I answer the question I tend to get often...How do I maintain my positive energy, my enthusiasm, my good vibes, all day every week.
I am very intentional in how I kickstart my day and most importantly how I maintain my energy levels. This makes me a very enthusiastic person, I am the light in the midst of darkness.
Traffic Reflections are recorded on my way to work to make the journey through traffic a breeze :)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7pGJlgUrNvT3nmENcSWEFF?si=deoJRbPLSaqsKh95Jw3I5g
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/traffic-reflections-how-to-maintain-good-vibes-during/id1542054587?i=1000502723219
How leaders or managers can enable millennials to be high performers in their respective organisations.***Hosts: Kondwani Banda
Co-Host: Refentse Molehe
Industrial Leader: Tex Hlalele*
Recorded on the 26th of November 2020 under The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) Young Professionals Council (YPC) Connected Series called Interviews with industrial leaders.
We discuss the issue around diversity and inclusion, but with a key focus around millennials.
Tex Hlalele has more than 15 years of experience in the HR discipline across different industries. He is a life and business coach, leadership and organisational effectiveness consultant, keynote speaker and an author.
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/reflections-on-career-growth-on-leadership-millennials/id1542054587?i=1000502470557
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YwTOvRr48Ji5RLjrIgt5W?si=3jt6pnYjTXOAIus8mgEnnw**
Last poem to end the Poetry Reflections Series. Consider this a battle speech!!!We sail and ride the storm boldly, through different challenges life throws at us. We have sailed the pandemic and are still riding on.
Life is the battle and no matter how many blows get you down, keep on coming back up until the day you will conquer it all!!
Sincerely
Your Captain
Kond-1 The Great
Written on the 27th of March 2020 when I was going through the most.
This one for me is filled with so much sadness and sorrow. Yet I remained hopeful that the day will come where I can look back and say I survived that, I conquered that and I am now far stronger as a human being, I am now a wiser human being.
No matter how broken or lost you may feel, don't let the spark die out, keep burning the candle of hope. We may be hopeful and strong yet going through the most hectic storms.
So sail on! dear loved one, like a lighthouse, may my words guide you through life's challenges!
Sincerely
The Light Worker
Kond-1 The Great
Dear African Woman,
You have touched my heart.
I want to take this time to embrace you, your womanhood, and remind you that you are the world's greatest creation.
In a world full of hate, gender-based violence and inequalities, I want to remind you that you are good enough, you are a sunflower 🌻 you are the beauty behind all the madness in this world.
I pray that my sons grow into the protectors of women, that they are kind and nurturing. The world is cruel and turning a blind eye will not make it better. May my son's stand united to protect the future generation of mothers, discourage self-destructive behaviour, promote excellence and celebrate each other's successes.
The poem titled The Queen celebrates you and the power you have to break chains and barriers. You heal hearts and find lost souls. You have the power to change the world, I urge you to look deep within your soul to find your hidden potential and live life as God had intended. You do no one justice by not letting your light shine brightly to the world
Sincerely,
Your knight in shining armour
The Great Banda
How to stay winning as a young married couple in 4IR.Marriage Reflections will be a special panel podcast series that will take a deep dive at issues around why marriages fail and how we can be a generation with stable, happy marriages. Zoom Panelist:
Mosili Pebane (Mrs Moss), 27 years of age 2 years married, Geologist
Dr Benny Zitha (Dr Zee), 29 years of age, 3 years married, Medical Doctor
and Dr Lerato Motimele (Dr Lee), 30 years of age, 4 years married, Medical Doctor
My panel involves young professionals, married and winning. The discussion is around some factors that have allowed them to be happily married, most of all we look at negative issues that may impact your marriage.
This is the first episode was recorded through a zoom call and with the amount of positive feedback we received, there will be more coming. We need to talk about issues that are killing our societies and change the norms.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fV7AWnvJEHvQCMMFNgBbN?si=aN5-AaWfQ0mAHO024zWGlg
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/marriage-reflections-how-to-stay-winning-as-young-married/id1542054587?i=1000501563369
In the midst of darkness, love, like light from a firefly is what keeps us going. In celebration of the African woman, with her natural hair standing high against all odds and gravity, she is the Afro Samurai aka OB!!!
Inspired by my friend Fani.
In high school, he used to rhyme and they would drop bars to beatbox together with Mr Anderson and other scholars.
Wrote this to pay homage to the awesome times in high school where creativity was high and we believed we could be anything we wanted.
Don't let life kill your spark!!!
Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud"..
Whenever the impostor syndrome kicks in, listen to this and remember that YOU ARE A SUNFLOWER!!!!
This is a spontaneous, unscripted, experimental poem, done during one of my morning gym session in October 2020.
Inspired by a friend called Simone, we were discussing how it would be so cool to make podcasts people could listen to get their vibrations high and just start the day on a good note.
You can hear the gym music, and weights in the background, making this podcast quite special as the environment created the most suitable background noise.
Reflecting back to this poem, the dome is a happy place ( for example the gym), where I feel rejuvenated when life is just too hard. The dome is my sphere of influence where my high energy and positivity rubs off you. The Good Vibes Dome is where you want to be when darkness and the shadow in near,
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GZ2cytLIW6LSRKLlwTIIY?si=PYW1PqC7SoGkw7WiY3IEew
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/poetry-reflections-the-good-vibes-dome/id1542054587?i=1000501030550
2020 has been emotionally, mentally and physically challenging for almost everyone. The poem Anyway 3.0 is a reflection on how despite all the challenges we are facing, we should continue the good fight and not give up.
A poetry reflection on how despite being broken emotionally in the past, we are still able to continue with life and love like nothing ever happened.
We go through so many challenges that at times we give up on ourselves and deem ourselves unworthy. Our broken wings and battle scars come with lessons and wisdom, and they will always have a story to tell.
Written in December 2018 as I sailed the dark storms.
The poem titled Who Rescues Superman reflects on how at times we have so many responsibilities, social pressures and expectations from the world, and yet when we face our demons and are sinking, there is no one to turn to, no one to fight for us, because the world already expects us to be better off and fighting for it. Superman or Woman is anyone that is a leader in any form, for example, the parent, the firstborn, the boss, the pastor, the role model, the breadwinner, etc.
We are constantly superheroes during the day and an average Joe at night when the world is not watching. The dear fellow lightworker, remember to be authentic, explore your God-given gifts, be yourself even if most will reject you because society doesn’t approve.
Dear soul seeker, be strong but also remember it is okay to be weak sometimes. It is okay to cry, real men cry, a real man knows that bottling up pain and sorrow never did any justice to anyone.
Dear traveller, on this journey, may you never feel alone or die in silence, never feel like the man of steel as sometimes your rescuers may not be superheroes, it could be a Mr nobody or the man on the street. But still remember that your inner shadows, kryptonite, will need you to rise and conquer them.
May we continue to empower each other, share good vibrations and be lighthouses to those passing throw the toughest storms.
Past traumatic events that took place in your childhood tend to play a role in shaping who you are as a person. Insecurities don't surface out of anywhere and there are deeply rooted in issues that need healing in order to overcome them. If insecurities are not dealt with, you fall into a trap where you want to seek constant validation so that you feel more secure about yourself.
Healing is a journey and we do not walk alone. The Traffic Reflections are reflections from my journey with hopes to start a discussion around healing and why we need to start with the inner self before we can change and address issues in our societies. Men are most prone to neglecting this journey because some of the toxic traits and behaviours are socially acceptable by hour peers and we tend to see no need to improve on ourselves.
Growing up from the townships in South Africa has allowed me to go through the midst of darkness and light, as I seek to find myself and discover the true purpose of life and what I as a person need. We get so caught up in impressing people that we lose our authenticity and so this series is aimed to start the engagements around these issues and how we can overcome them one day at a time.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CLv6RFKJcMBgZvLG4HU7c?si=SoFfkwY9TZCprde9GCtNSA
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/traffic-reflections-dealing-insecurities-constant-need/id1542054587?i=1000500227472