The Premise

In the final chapter of this journey, we explore the implications and nuances of fear. This often stifling emotion is elicited by the threat of danger – manifesting in the brain’s amygdala region, where emotional response is detected through the perception of stimuli. Across many disciplines of thought, fear tends to form more than just a feeling, rather it is a weighted energy that accumulates within our being, giving rise to instinctual discomfort and patterning. While fear is thought to be a negative response, it is also one of our most intrinsic and ancient compasses, having been with us as an energetic motivator that has refined humankind’s development on this earth. In this regard, we wonder about the transmutative possibilities of fear, as a companion on our path in this life – to be utilized, shed or healed in order for us to attain our higher potential?

Having gathered in groups for millenia, we are irrevocably bound to each other as human beings. Through our assertion of communities, we have built civilizations - and even when these fall, we continue to rely on our interconnectedness to shape our world. We simply cannot exist without the presence of other people; drawing on collaboration for practical, emotional and spiritual growth as we traverse our temporal trajectory through the ages.

Within community spaces, our differences and similarities are channeled as an anchoring of values, imbuing our lives with illustrious meaning. As Audre Lorde said - “Without community, there is no liberation.” - and this is the precise vision we ought to maintain through a digitally-expansive era, in which our ability to be connected is constantly shifting.

Without our community - exemplified by the voices witnessed throughout this series - we would not be where we are. We remain forever grateful.

The act of letting go is perhaps one of the most challenging invitations we can receive in our lives. We tend to cast surrender as an indication of weakness; that surrender means to give up, bow out or allow the oppositional outcome to overthrow us. What if this act, of surrender and letting go, was actually the subtle art form that allows us to immerse ourselves in the flow? What if, by allowing ourselves to drop our conceptual frameworks and expectations, we instead call God/Source Energy to take the lead – to show us and surprise in infinite ways what lies beyond our mental, societal fixations? Letting go requires a practice of non-attachment; perhaps the highest spiritual attainment we can seek in a world that constantly requires our attention and obsession in order for it to be sustained.

So much of spiritual sentiment in the 21st century is wrapped up in “transcending the ego” – the aspect of Self that is rooted in humanness, validation and is ultimately formed as a tool for self-protection for navigation on this earth. We asked our speakers to elucidate on the depth of the “ego” as both a friend and a foe in our lives. The ego requires consistent attention, nurturing and self-reflection; and a healthy ego can allow us to be bold in our choices, in our self-belief and expression of ourselves. On the other hand, it can also risk us being judgmental, self-deprecating or cynical in the chaos of this world. We rarely stoke the fire of this topic from a place of honesty; as an unbridled ego usually stems from a place of embedded internal fear. We are very interested in understanding the ego as a part of us that we can foster to guide us – much like our intuition – with the utmost care for ourselves, each other and this reality that we share.

It is difficult to define the nuance's purpose; particularly in a world that is chaotic, and sometimes suggests we should all be driven to pursue something. Perhaps, as our speakers elucidate, it dwells within - and that finding one's purpose is the ultimate surrender to the great mystery, however it may appear to us in our unique experiences. Each human being has a story to tell - a blueprint - that asks us to return to who we are. Whether it is through our approach to life, or the challenges we face, finding our purpose is to return to our most authentic expressions of Self. In this musing we are held by the words of Haneem Christian, Shakil Solanki, Tukiya Mulusa and Celeste Arendse.

Love is the binding of all our greatest achievements; the work and the essence of creation itself – this chapter explores many forms of love, illustrated by the vulnerability and tenderness of the speakers. We evoke love in us, as the energy that unifies all aspects of living; we lose it, return to it, embody it and pursue it. It is the salve for our wounds, the remedy for our relationships - and within the Lukhanyo Mdingi cosmology, love is the reverence within which we design our offerings for the world. In this chapter we are held by the presence of Banele Khoza, Rochelle Nembard and newlyweds Eden Toohey & Mario Ogle. We learn that Love is beyond us - it is not prescribed, but rather felt by all beings, and it is an energy we hope will remain everlasting as we co-create the world.

Channeling our energy is a sacred act; we forge the path ahead for ourselves based off of the intentions that grow from within us, the way a seed transitions to a plant in the ecosystem of life.

The spirit of intention becomes a fuelling vessel that seeps its way seamlessly through the practice of karma - “For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.”

Being pressed to the mark of the motive is the sole ingredient that will enforce the commitment and the cause. We are inspired by the words of Anelisa Mangcu, Elizabeth Thebus and Obakeng Mostepe as they lead us through their musings on immersing themselves in the act of intention.

Beyond space and time, yet contained in the body and heart, is our capacity for intuition; the inner compass that navigates one's being through the intricate weave of life. It is the guiding force; the fiercely protective and untainted purity of our internal dialogue. Intuition is the secret syntax of that which is all-knowing; a love letter from ourselves, to ourselves.

Intuition is the feeling and knowing of our truest & highest form; as Lindi Mngxitama and Duduza Mchunu both conclude in their musings; intuition is the voice of our God-selves. It is not the language unprescribed by society or expectation; it is the preventive, pro-active salve against being told how to be, how to feel – and how to be seen. Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi clarifies the strength of intuition and instinct in childhood; before we are bound by the bonds of the world.

Gratitude is a vibration of beingness; it is the tenderness we exude for the life that surrounds us, nourishing and nurturing our best intentions. A life tempered by gratitude grows in its infinite expansion; the more we give the more our intentions manifest in this world. It is the energy we ascribe to everything we love about being alive.

It speaks of a thoughtful tenderness and holding the view of being grateful imbibes a profound and ever-evolving essence that exists all around us as we move through our journeys. In this conversation, we are held by the words of Athi Patra Ruga, Alice Toich and Shuaib Van Der Schyff.

Athi Patra Ruga muses on the spell cast upon him when was born, “When a child is born, it isn’t simply given a name – they are given a spell or a charm, setting the way forward for how the child will approach the world. It is by definition, an awareness of where things come from. My name, AthiNkosi, means gratitude.”

Alice Toich contemplates the gratitude she has for sitting at the table with people she loves – “especially cooking together, or for each other, with love and intention. It is a nourishment for our souls.”

Shuaib Van Der Schyff offers how he stays grounded and grateful every day, and that is through being “attached to something greater than your own existence, as well as being grateful for the simple things.”

The Premise introduces an articulation of inner most musings; through conversations lead by integral beings in the Lukhanyo Mdingi cosmology.

Together, we explore the multi-faceted nature of varying iterations concerning life; including concepts such as gratitude, intuition, to fear and letting go and more.

Our vision for collaboration underpins the essence of our work; and it is within this domain and spirit that we speak to leaders and way-showers; hearing their unique, deeply considered perspectives.

We invite you to immerse yourself in these words; may you be held by their wisdom.