A key influence in the creation of Beautiful Inner Living has been the wisdom learnt through spending time in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa. Here, on one side of the fence there are affluent individuals with jobs, homes and many material possessions… On the other, generally in the townships areas where so many people were displaced to during Apartheid, the inhabitants have very little.

Although the community that I spent time with in the townships generally had their basic needs met, many did not. At least they had a roof over their heads, albeit often a shack or very small concrete home. They also had food, which was shared amongst many hungry mouths, they had water, although the sanitation was a challenge, and they had basic clothes. These people didn’t have all the shiny things that those on the other side of the fence had, but to my interest these people they seemed more genuinely happy and had a sense of deeper joy than those who had so much on the other side.

What I learnt was that although they had very few material things, they were feeling very free in their lives, they could be who they genuinely were, and that a great many people were pursuing their passions whilst trying to earn a living: There was no office job to be ‘pigeoned’ into – those who loved green things and nature were gardeners, those whose passion lay with children were child carers, those who were creative were cooks and artists. They didn’t earn much money, but they experienced having enough. They took care of each other, they knew their neighbour and looked out for each other. They were living ‘purposeful’ lives, living from a ‘Soul perspective’ and they were very connected to each other, on a much deeper level than other people I have met. These great people would sit round and drink tea, young son, mum, and Grandpa – all generations together in the home. No-one on the street went hungry. They shared, they listened, and they gave each other what they needed. There was a deep sense of joy that came from this.

I gained many happy memories during my time with these special people and I continue to support them from afar. A percentage of profit from Beautiful Inner Living is donated each year to this community in South Africa, and if you would also like to make a donation to supporting this inspiring community please get in touch.