[intro]Lindiwe Bartman is and has been a motivational speaker and counselor for over 15 years and recently qualified as a life coach at an institution called ‘Let’s Live Coaching’. She specialises in the youth and in relationships and she defines a life coach as someone who helps or directs others to realise their potential and achieve their goals and dreams. She works with hundreds of individuals, mostly young women. THABANG MOSELANE spent some time with this inspirational woman.[/intro]

Thabang Moselane (TM): How are you bringing change to the lives of young women that surround you?

Lindiwe Bartman (LB): Many young people, especially women do not believe in themselves. Some limit themselves to a point of compromise and remain in their comfort zones, and the minute they have to step out of it, it becomes a nightmare. In many instances we see very talented, gifted people lacking direction in life. This may be caused by a fear of change. As a life coach, I help these young women to create a lasting change that will help grow them in all areas of their lives – be it emotional, spiritual and intellectual. I use the following three principles for change:

1. Raise your standards – With this principle, you list all the things you no longer accept in life, things such as gossiping, mediocrity, negative thoughts about yourself and the compromising of values. On the contrary, you also list the things that you wish to achieve (goals and dreams).
2. Change your limiting beliefs – If you decide to raise your standards but do not believe you can reach them then you’ve already sabotaged yourself.
3. Change your strategy – Find strategies that will help and lead you to achieving your goals and dreams. For instance, get a mentor that you will model, read books that are aligned with your vision, your goals and dreams.

TM: Many young people find it difficult to stand in solidarity. How do we alter this and change it for the good?

LB: Young women show a lack of belief in themselves. There is a lot of competition out there, no one wants to be unique and God created us with a purpose and that alone makes us unique. Young women need to understand that they need each other. For instance, in a clothing factory; a designer is needed as well as a technician for the machines, a cleaner, bookkeeper and a manager. All these people are needed to make the factory complete and effective. Therefore, the minute young women start to understand their purpose and strive to achieve their dreams they will realize that they need each other and that they need to work together and stop fighting and arguing over unnecessary things.

TM: What words of encouragement and wisdom do you have for women in general?

LB: It is very heartbreaking to see what is happening in our society today. Our young girls have given up on life, they have stopped dreaming and are in search of older men who will only give them temporary solutions to their lives by buying them material things hoping that they will be accepted and recognised by their peers. Young women must learn to dream big. They will learn a lot by following renowned and successful women around the world. We have a lot of women who are successful but started from nothing, the likes of Basetsana Khumalo and Patience Mlengan. The girls can follow these women and learn a lot from them. At the end of the day it is not about your background and where you come from but about what you believe in. As a young woman, live a purpose-driven life for you to become content and fulfilled. Be the change that you want to see in the world and take charge of your life right now and not tomorrow.