for Finance Maureen Modiselle
22 September 2006
Acting Head of Department for Finance, Mr Geo Paul
Head of the Provincial Treasury, Mr Ernst Van Wyk
All Senior Managers
Staff of my department
Media
My talk this morning focuses on: Put wellness first in your life and the
theme for our event is âYou are what you doâ.
Talking to you about wellness reminds one of an age-old Chinese saying from
200 BC, that says: âThe sages of old didn't treat the sick they treated those
who were well, If a disease has already broken out and is only treated then
isn't that like waiting for thirst before digging a well or waiting until the
battle begins to make your weapons?â.
We are also reminded by the words of the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
âYesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us
begin.â Let us begin today to put wellness first, ka gore go tsofala yo o
ratang. The notion of total wellness recognises that everything about us, be it
a deed, thought, word, posture, affects our health in the sense of our
physical, spiritual, and psychological functioning.
In opening my talk, I should like to premise it with the words of William
Shakespeare who said: âSelf love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as
self-neglectingâ. I dare suggest that all of us can learn to start putting well
being first right now. We don't have to wait for a life threatening, or quality
of life-changing disease.
Today, many scientists, both natural and social, are concerned about
improving quality of life. Genome researchers are concerned about finding links
between our genes and metabolic functioning. Social researchers are looking at
the conditions of life that keep us happy and well.
These are things about the âgood lifeâ. Good living requires more than
generally ignoring your health and occasionally running from disease. Good
living has to include well being, an even higher standard of comfort, peace,
and physical and mental capacity.
I want to say to you that you might easily agree with me that well being is
important, but my question is, sitting here today, do you have achievable goals
for achieving more well-being? Does your daily priority list any of these as
important?
Allow me to tell you a simple story about transformation and learning the
nature of truth through the simplicity of life. The Brazilian author, Paulo
Coelho, in his book The Pilgrimage tells a story about his personal experiences
along the historic Road to Santiago de Compsotella, much of it revolving around
a sacred sword.
The book is much about the quest for spirituality. Through his travails, his
hardships and what all he has to go through in his quest for the sword, Paulo
Coelho shows us that if we want something badly enough we labour for it.
Achieving wellness is a challenge, but could also be as easy as making it a
lifestyle; one that would take a journey, a pilgrimage like Paulo Coelho in his
book. Most importantly, self-improvement is essential to a satisfying life.
Last year, when I spoke to you on Wellness Day, I made the following remarks
and I quote âIt is therefore important that we are creating this physical
activity and healthful living at a time when physical inactivity has been
identified as contributing to premature death, disability, primarily through
increased incidences of physical inactivity-related cardiovascular diseases,
obesity and diabetes If everything and everyone is unable to move, there will
be no life at all. For us to continue living and fulfil our mandate and
obligations to our people we must be active, mobile, stress free and above all
agile enough to climb the steps leading to our offices should the lifts break
down
Overall healthy living is a key ingredient to wellness and that all of us
also need to understand the responsibility for enhancing our own health.
Today's message is: Wellness is something you can cultivate yourselves and this
cannot wait. If you have not committed to wellness, created health goals, and
you are not striving to achieve them, then most certainly, you are just waiting
for your health to disappear. Therefore, I urge you to apply interest in your
self-improvement to your well being and do it with discipline and persistence.
Sounds easy don't it?
Before I suggest how you may achieve optimal wellness, I should like to
indicate the following outcomes of optimal health:
* comfortable breathing
* the ability to go into any reasonable environment without getting a cold or
flu
* a reasonable appetite, perfect digestion, the perfect bowel movement, good
vision and hearing
* easy, restful, restorative sleep, staying asleep all night, and waking up
refreshed and invigorated
* staying alert and energetic throughout the day
* emotional balance
* serenity
* peace
* patience and
* an open heart and mind.
Sounds good doesn't it? Here are some examples of goals you can set for your
self to achieve the outcomes I have just referred to:
* pay attention to your eating habits
* exercise regularly at least three times a week
* get enough sleep, at least eight hours; go ikhutsa go botlhokwa and
* pay attention to your emotions, fokotsang go tenega
The crux of my message to you today is: Don't wait for a life-threatening or
quality of life-changing disease, before you make wellness a priority in your
life. Start today, to put wellness first and remember âYou are what you
doâ.
I thank you !
Issued by: Department of Finance, North West Provincial Government
22 September 2006
Source: North West Department of Finance (http://www.nwpg.gov.za)
