POLOKWANE – Although I have never met him, Gugu seemed like a stand-up guy, a real gentleman, and I admired his and his wife’s spirit of adventure.
It was while I was reading about the circumstances of his death that I was reminded of one of my favourite motivational quotes that reads, ‘be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire’.
Gugu truly lived his life as though he knew he was living on borrowed time. His achievements are truly remarkable, and he died doing something he loved, sharing it with the people he loved. Death is part of the human journey, and even though it marks the end of one’s race, it forms part of the journey of those left behind. But how many of us can truly say we are living our best lives?
Finding your purpose and staying true to the path you chose is not easy. It requires a lot of resilience, faith and often, a great sense of humour.
Reading about Gugu’s life, I couldn’t help but wonder if some of us are the best versions of ourselves, or just mirror images of who society expects us to be. Gugu, like so many other people, carved his own path and stuck to it despite the obstacles he encountered.
But how do you know which path you are meant to follow, you might ask. Well, that path is usually led by that little voice in your head that always reminds you of your dreams. But no matter how loud the little voice gets or how bright the flame in our souls burn, we choose not to listen and not to pursue what truly sets our souls on fire. Instead, with every passing moment, we remark on how short life is, but we don’t do anything to give meaning to it.
Well, with Gugu’s passing, I say let us all find inspiration in not only how he lived, but how he died, and with that, have the resilience of a traffic light that continues to work after its been knocked down, as we live our best lives.
