I participate in the  exhibition at South Africa’s Parliament’s budget vote. At this event the Members of Parliament debate and vote for the budget put forward by the Parliament’s administration.  During the event the administration has the opportunity to exhibit their services and products to the Members of Parliament. It offers an opportunity to engage with members of Parliament. As MIS manager I organized a display of the Metasonic table for subject based process modeling. The table allows for people to engage with process modeling on a more interactive manner.  I also displayed the enterprise architecture as it is captured in ARIS, a knowledge repository.  The aim of the two displays was to create more awareness of a process focused approach to improving business processes and the utilization of existing ICT investments.

The display was a success and several quality discussions ensued with some important stakeholders. Which shows the commitment to greater effectiveness and efficiency.  In the past the ICT display consisted mostly about systems and I am happy to see a shift in awareness to acknowledge the importance of processes and business process design.

Astrology

Astrology, was long ago seen as one of the sacred sciences. Today it is eclipsed by astronomy as we try to understand the physical universe man inhabits.

But astrology also had a different side to it. Astrology was, for those mystics who sought God’s fingerprint in the cosmos, a means of aligning their lives with cosmic patterns. Today we see this manifest in horoscopes in news papers and magazines that broadly touch on the positioning of the sun during birth. The general popular approach is to look at the planets to see how these planets will influence mankind. However the mystics, who wanted to align themselves with a broader uncorrupted divine plan, looked at the stars and chose to align their actions with the stars. For them this approach broad more meaning to there lives, since they were active participants in a broader plan. This approach brought a sense of peace and meaning to their lives as they looked towards the sky to divine the will of the creator.

The system of astrology is a psychological view on man…personified through the planets and star signs. It is a system that looks at establish harmony between different conflicting elements by acknowledging the cyclic movement of planets. In astrology there is a time for everything. By understanding the positioning of the planets this approach provide a perspective where man is not isolated from the universe. Man is a microcosm of a bigger macrocosm and by following the rhythm of the  solar system of which man is part, man becomes a more unified and harmonious being.

Sun Conjunction Jupiter in Gemini

Astrology

The sun signify self expression, Jupiter expansion and Gemini communication.  Conjunction means working together.  This conjunction in Gemini is a life time opportunity that will not repeat itself soon.

Universally, there are few times as fortuitous as the current moment to express yourself verbally and inform the people around you of who you are. The risk associated with Gemini is often unclear communication but the conjunction with the sun will ensure that this will not be the case. Find your voice in this time and be bold enough to tell people who you are and want your ideals are. Action should follow your words but within Gemini the focus is on verbal communication. Look at who the people are that can assist you in achieving your goals in life and take up the time now to talk to them about what you want to achieve. If you wanted to ask for a promotion, then this is the time to ask for that promotion.  Think big and don’t be shy in what you ask for.  Now is the time to visualize that ultimate future that you set for yourself as an ideal. The key word is collaboration for you can not always achieve your goals as a lone ranger but must look at who is best equipped to assist you to achieve your results.

The principle, however works in a dual direction. What you seek you must also give.  Be open for what you can do for others to assist them in achieving their goals. Realize that you have the resources and capability to make a difference in the lives of other people. The present moment is a time to listen carefully at what others ask from you. Some may not even ask but will tell you about their dreams. If you listen carefully you will see how you can give of yourself to help another to take a step of progress forward. Without giving, you will limit your own ability to receive. By giving you will give greater expression of your own personality and you will expand your own sphere of influence and contribution.

This trend is especially important to air signs born in Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. For Gemini it is a time to investigate the possibilities and seek out opportunities, Libra can express those ideals that has not yet manifested and appeal to those who can open doors for them. Aquarius can bring long held ideals to conclusion by requesting others to help them to finalize outstanding issues.

Sagittarius people might not find this time as easy as the other signs. Sagitarius wants to adventure into the world and take action. The guidance for Sagittarius is to make peace with staying at home if there is no opportunity for travel. Talk might seem boring but force yourself to talk about travel rather than dashing out into the world boldly.

Pisces and Virgo the other two flexible signs might also find it more difficult to fully leverage this time of opportunity. For Pisces the challenge is not to go to deep under water but to break out above the surface and express yourself. Pisces might experience this as a very intimidating and vulnerable thing to do but that is the courage it will take to leverage the potential locked up in this fractal of space time. Virgo similarly might want to over analyze the details of their ideals which can either prevent clear communication or they will get so deeply bogged down in the details that their communication will not be understood. Virgo should focus on staying at the broad strokes of their ideals and leave the details for later.

Alignment guidance:

• Express verbally your ideals and goals clearly
• Listen and see where you can assist others
• Do not over analyze opportunities and possibilities
• Refrain from giving action precedence over communication.

Affirmation: By communicating my goals I can achieve more, by listening I can assist others to achieve more.

Transcending the age of information

Philosophy

We truly live in an age of information. Whatever you want to know you can find on the internet with a simple search term in Google. For those fortunate, information is on a cell phone at our finger tips every day. What we do not know we can find out more with a moments notice. However it is certainly not an age of knowledge and even less an age of wisdom. Proof of this argument can be found in simply searching for how to make a bomb.

The information is available…but the knowledge of life and how to settle disputes without war is lacking. Our bigger challenge in life is not anymore just technological but it is how to apply all the information we do have. The example of the bomb shows how dangerous information can be without the knowledge and wisdom to inform that information. In history man moved through the age of reason which helped to unlock many scientific discoveries. Breaking from pure faith to rely on tangible evidence and interpretation of facts through a structured method brought advances in society that is beyond the imagination of men who walked the earth in previous centuries. Reason brought man to the brink of skepticism where man began to doubt his own ability to even remotely know anything.

Reason brought with it some knowledge but reason still failed to bring deeper wisdom. Wisdom is not found in the material world but in the phenomenal world. Reason rejected this world because it could not break it down into reasonable derivatives of explanation. The age of reason brought advancement but failed miserably in bringing illumination. We need to transcend the age of information and we need to leverage the age of reason i order to enter into an age of wisdom.

Inner sight development

Life

I endeavor to facilitate from my thoughts something worthwhile to blog about. Sadly this is all too often a bigger challenge than what I have thought.

Life that is visible is but the tip of the iceberg and almost as uninteresting. The true interesting part is that part beneath the water and the life that surrounds it. I used to blog about wisdom of which I had no lack.

As I get more mature I began to realize more and more that what I know is but a shadow of true wisdom. I learned to listen rather than talk…to observe rather than to judge…and in the darkness of my mind I could see the flickering of a dim light slowly growing. My eager mind was a seeker that had to be kept at abeyance at times so that it lingered long enough so that parts of the darkness can be illuminated as the inner eye adjusted itself to the darkness.

Somehow lingering a bit longer in inner space taught my inner eye to be more efficient in seeing the light pervading the deepest crevices of spiritual depths yet uncharted.

PoSA named a finalist

Work

Parliament of South Africa was nominated in three of twenty two categories relating to Enterprise and IT architecture. I can now confirm that Parliament’s nomination submitted of the Enterprise Architecture work, that was done in Parliament, to the iCMG Enterprise Architecture Excellence Awards has past the third round of the evaluation and emerged as a finalist in each of the three categories in which it was nominated. All three categories were highly contested categories and it is an outstanding result for Parliament to have received this level of recognition for the excellence of the work that was done within Parliament.
 
In terms of the categories entered the following are the participants that was named as finalist in the three categories.
Transformation and planning – Round 1: 16, Round 2: 10, Finalist: 6

• ING: Ing 2013-2015
• Parliament of South Africa: Enterprise architecture improves effectiveness and efficiencies. 
• Right to Care : Using Pharmacy Automation to improve service delivering a high-volume HIV treatment facility 
• Vodafone India Private Limited: Unify: One company, one process 
• Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore: Business capability modeling to enable transformation
• Defence Science & Technology Agency: Applying Zachman Framework & Outside-In concepts to HR Transformation.

Best Enterprise & IT architecture in Govt / Defense /Public Sector – Round 1:  15, Round 2: 9, Finalist: 7

• Municipal Property Assessment Corporation: Open Source/Cloud for property management 
• Infocomm development authority of Singapore: Business capability modeling to enable transformation
• Housing and Development Board: HDB’s Enterprise Architecture for Organizational excellence
• Parliament of South Africa: Enterprise architecture improves effectiveness and efficiencies. 
• Right to care (Pharmacy automation):  Using Pharmacy Automation to improve service delivering a high-volume HIV treatment facility
• General Civil Aviation Authority: IT Architecture
• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: ADJD Enterprise Architecture Program

Enterprise architecture  – Round 1: 23, Round 2: 9 Round 3: 6

• S&P Capital IQ and S&P Dow Jones Indices: High performance financial analytics platform implementation 
• Lloyds Banking Group: Realizing enterprise architecture through Industrialized Design
• Parliament of South Africa: Enterprise architecture improves effectiveness and efficiencies. 
• Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore: Business capability modeling to enable transformation
• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: ADJD Enterprise Architecture Program
• Saudi Ministry of Health: eHealth Strategy Development and Execution – Through Enterprise Architecture

The winners will be announced on 25 July 2013

My farewell to Xanga

Grief

I suppose this is the end of my “Life time membership” once Xanga move on …if it is possible. From my side I would like to thank the Xanga Team for almost seven years of blogging experience. I experimented with many sites and Xanga remained my first choice. I always loved the ease with which Xanga worked and I blogged my most treasured thoughts, moments and experiences onto Xanga. With all the other bloggers I experience a sense of grief. Much time was invested into writing on Xanga. I made good friends who walked parts of my life journey with me. I appreciated every comment ever made.

However life is cyclical. Nothing happens without purpose and when doors close new one opens. I hope that Xanga will continue and the I can be part of that process. Moving from Xanga means looking for new ways to communicate, new communities to interact with. Where the path will lead in unclear but the end is always the beginning of a new adventure.

I salute Xanga for the experience
I salute my subscribers for subscribing
I salute those who took the time to actually read and comment on my writing.

The journey here is drawing to a close.
May you all find new ways forward.
For us true Xangans, we will always remain Xangan even if Xanga is no longer.

Chakra Insights

Yoga

I am subscribed to esoteric online which is an alternative blogging community focused on spirituality. I found two pieces today on the chakra’s that was complementary and wanted to put them together for my own insight. I copied large chunks of the original documents and changed a few things to reflect a closer viewpoint aligned with my own. Unfortunately no attribute is given to any authors so I can not give the original authors any credit. But here is inspiration starting from the root chakra and working upward towards the crown chakra. The second line is from a piece that is entitled: “The seven spiritual laws of yoga.”

Survival is limited by fear
My life is in harmony with cosmic law

Pleasure is limited by guilt
My actions are free from attachment to outcome

Willpower is limited by shame
My intentions are supported by the universe

Love is limited by grief
My actions achieve maximum benefit with minimal effort

Truth is limited by ignorance
My action is aligned with universal love.

Insight is limited by illusion.
I am a nourishes of the universe and the universe nourishes me

Mystical upliftment is limited by earthly attachment
I am temporal in existence but absolute in essence

The rendering of service

Mystical philosophy

When one does a job well or performs an act of kindness then a service is rendered. True service demands no compensation other than the satisfaction of knowing we labored in the vineyard of love. Every day we should create opportunities to be of service. Service is to create an environment that is cheerful, attractive and harmonious.  Service is an act of cooperation where we share a problem and responsibility with another. When we offer a service to others we must be capable to render that service with efficiency. You have no right to offer something you cannot adequately provide. Insist to serve only where your efforts are appreciated.  Don’t deprive another from their development and growth through overzealous service. There are different avenues of service and the service we render will ultimately become our true mission in life. Service is to dismiss fear or superstition and to illuminate the path of mysticism for others. Everyone has the means for rendering service.  We must ensure that we are well prepared and ready for service. In rendering service, we are helping others, and in helping others we are helping ourselves.

A smile and an encouraging word is a service you can render every day. When you feel the urge to do a kindness or correct an error then it is your obligation to yield to the impulse and do what your inner self, urge you to do. Through service you will attain opportunities leading to the satisfaction of realization of  new-found knowledge.  Make sure that you co-operate with both natural and spiritual laws. Reliance on this knowledge does not supplant your efforts but supplement them.  Realize your potential in terms of your fitness or importance in the great scheme of life and your ability to serve a greater purpose. Remember that the greater development is within you and may not be revealed outwardly until you have found the service through which to express yourself. This obligation to serve, voluntarily affirmed in all sincerity, makes it imperative to study, practice, test and try the natural and spiritual laws that governs our existence. Through service we learn how to apply these laws towards a meaningful and purposeful end that will become the focus point of our own inner growth.  

In rendering service we help others to have a realization of the abundance of life and the blessings of the cosmic.

(These are notes based and/or inspired by the original discourse written by by R.R. Clayton, 1960)

16 Qualities to strive towards

Wisdom

On the path of inner unfoldment there are sixteen qualities/virtues to acquire:

1. Patience – A victory is the conquest of one self through patience.
2. Kindness – Treat everyone kindly and courteously and always be ready to help.
3. Generosity – Spend your benevolence and good will with impartiality.
4. Humility – Give credit to others and everything will be accomplish in due time.
5. Industriousness – Do what is needed but let modesty be in proportion to your gifts and talents.
6. Temperance – Act in harmony with cosmic law.
7. Balance – Seeks the delicate balance between your own needs and the needs of others.
8. Calmness – Don’t let disturbances disturb your mind.
9. Discernment – Until your judgement is cut off, remain inclined towards a favorable opinion.
10. Righteousness – Let nobility of character lifts you high above absurdities.
11. Honesty – Never seek any other source of light except the light of truth.
12. Silent – Keep your wisdom locked in your heart for in Silence lies true power.
13. Knowledgeable – Maintain an unshakeable confidence in the Divine principle of truth.
14. Conviction – In everything, no matter of what evil appearance, there is within a good seed that can overcome evil.
15. Consistency – Hold fast to your spiritual possessions.
16. Loyalty – Truth remains unaltered so remain loyal to truth.