Stop. Ask. Act Spiritual and traditional healer Gogo Dineo Ndlanzi offers easy-to-follow solutions to living your best life

You could be happy – and you should – but you’re not. So what’s holding you back from living your best life? Spiritual and traditional healer and life coach Gogo Dineo Ndlanzi offers easy-to-follow solutions.

work, money, relationships, time – you spend your days swinging from one worry to the next, consumed in creating worst-case scenarios, slowly spiralling into an early grave. In 2012, The British Medical Journal published a study that links high-stress levels with long-term illnesses like cancer. “A lot of people who come to me are looking for some level of fulfilment. They feel disconnected, out of balance and unhappy, and they don’t know why. In most instances, clients who seek my services seem to have it all figured out and some are perceived to be well-accomplished,” says Gogo.

A guide and facilitator of spiritual enlightenment, Gogo Dineo gained acclaim and endeared herself to the SA audience across cultural lines due to her spiritual teachings and enlightening words that help people understand that being rooted in ones’ spiritual identity is paramount to how we navigate our lives in these modern times.

She has now become a regular on radio and TV programming. “After years of working with people, I have discovered that the common underlying issue is that people are ungrounded in themselves and disconnected from their spiritedness,” she says.

Having dedicated her life to helping others find their path and attain inner contentment, she surrenders to being a student of life, and is always seeking to further enlighten herself in order to better serve those that she works with.

“Embark on a journey of selfdiscovery, and only once you know the true essence of who you are and your purpose in life, will you be able find true success and inner joy,” she explains.

Looking to free yourself from what’s holding your happiness hostage and get on a path to a more fulfilled life? Answer the following questions and adhere to Gogo Dineo’s advice to get you back on track.

1 Do you envy other people’s lives?

Your concentration should be centred around self-acceptance rather than validation from the outside – don’t let social media distract you from that. Stop looking at what others are doing and drawing comparisons to your own life. You attract negative thoughts and feelings when you become caught in living up to unrealistic expectations of what your life should be. Remember: social media is not an accurate depiction of real life.

2 Do you struggle to stay focused?

Although there may be a number of underlying causes, start by considering what you put into your body. Eating high-kilojoule foods with low nutritional value can lead to tiredness and an inability to concentrate, preventing you from being efficient in your work or studies. You’ll then find yourself feeling overworked and unable to cope, which adds to your stress levels. So, before you pick up that packet of chips or burger, it’s worth exploring your emotions first. Maybe you just need to speak to a friend or receive a hug from a loved one – comfort eating will only fill that emotional void temporarily.

3 Are you always yearning for new things?

Whether you have R100 in your bank account or a million, we all want a sense of value and worth, but you may be looking for those things in the wrong places. Stop thinking that you’ll be seen or valued by your peers if you have this or that. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t pursue material items, but you shouldn’t base your happiness around them. There will always be a newer, better and more expensive model – if you base your identity on that, you’ll never be satisfied.

4 Are you simply going through the motions?

Create the life you want to live and actively seek your purpose. If you aren’t pleased with what you’re doing or where you’re at in life, take active steps to change that. You can’t make anything or anyone around you better if you’re not well within yourself. Take control and stop going with the flow.

5 Do you often feel trapped and restless?

Go outside! We’re always cooped up at the office, in the classroom or at home. Take your shoes off and feel the ground. Really immerse yourself in your surroundings, breathe in the fresh air and be observant. Nature is one of the greatest teachers there is.

6 Do you crave the company of others?

Whether you’re aware of it or not, many people are afraid to spend time with themselves because they call it loneliness. Loneliness and aloneness are two different things. You can still feel lonely even when you’re among other people, but when you’re alone, you can reflect and discover who you are without outside influences telling you what they see or how you should be. Spend time, invest and work on yourself, eventually you’ll start to enjoy your own company and discover what really brings you joy.

7 Battling with complex internal questions?

Ask yourself, ‘ What am I hungry for, and what do I want to know more about?’ Maybe you want to know more about yourself or a higher power, or you just want to know how to study more effectively. Ask yourself those questions and pick up a book that will enlighten those things. Books can feed you and make you feel alive if you choose wisely.

8 Are you unable to stop overthinking?

Know that you’re more than just body and mind. You’re also a spirit being. Try to look for things that feed your spirit – whether it’s meditation, dancing, prayer or pahla (connecting to one’s ancestors). Do something that feeds your spirit, and helps you remain present and brings you inner peace.

9 Do you often get bored and listless?

Travelling is the doorway to seeing new possibilities and one of the best ways in which you can invest in yourself. You don’t have to be rich to go somewhere new. If you live in Alexandra go to Soweto. There are people who live in Durban, but have never been to the beach. Rather than spending money on expensive clothes, go see the world and explore, it’s a big place full of possibilities.