La Rochelle Yearbook 2025

FAREWELL MESSAGE – MRS ELSABÉ CONRADIE

Die Skoolhoof groet: Uitstapdag

Every year as I ponder over my Valedictory message for the Matrics, I try to identify a theme which I hope will be particularly relevant to that specific class and which they will remember long after they have left school. This year, it came to me in the lyrics of a song by Karen Zoid. To the Class of 2025: What follows are some guidelines on how to adopt a positive outlook, so that when you exit these gates and whenever you see a literal half-full glass, you will take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself: What am I currently doing to ensure my glass remains half full and not half empty? My eerste wenk aan jou, oor hoe om seker te maak dat jou glas halfvol is, is om bewus te wees van die mag van jou woorde en die effek van jou woorde op jou denke. ’n Mens se denke kan jou grootste bondgenoot wees, of dit kan jou grootste vyand wees. Dit is die oorsprong van al ons gedagtes en die bron van al ons emosies; dit is die kompas wat rigting aan ons lewe gee. Dit is waarom Salomo in sy wysheid in my gunsteling Bybelvers, Spreuke 4:23, sê, “Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe.” Dr Richard Wiseman conducted an experiment in which he carefully selected two groups of people – half were consistently negative and the others always positive. He took a newspaper and gave each a copy, telling them to count the pictures in the newspaper. On page 2, he printed a large, bold headline which read, ‘STOP COUNTING – THERE ARE 43 PICTURES IN THIS NEWSPAPER.’ Do you know what happened? Almost 70% of the negative people did not notice the headline – they kept counting! Nearly all the positive people noticed the headline immediately and stopped counting! It is a fact that happy or positive people notice all the opportunities in life more easily. Dít waarop jy fokus, is wat jy aantrek. Ek gaan vir julle ’n praktiese voorbeeld gee. Ek is glad nie ’n motor-mens nie. Ek let nie op met watter fabrikate of modelle mense ry nie – dit is nie vir my belangrik nie. Onlangs, egter, noem my man dat hy ’n Volkswagen Caddy wil kry aangesien dit ideal is vir wanneer hy gaan visvang en roei. Waar ek voorheen hierdie motors nooit raakgesien het nie, begin ek skielik ’n Caddy om elke hoek en draai sien.

The same principle applies to how we train our brain to perceive people and situations around us. If you only focus on the negative aspects of family members, friends, colleagues or your boss, your pessimism about them will intensify steadily. If, however, you choose to recognise their positive qualities, your optimism will grow as you concentrate on the good. Now you can ask yourself: Which one of these two scenarios will make your cup half full? How do you change your outlook on life from a victim mentality to a victor mentality? Wat doen mens om jou denke meer positief te maak? Dit bring ons nou by die liedjie, As Musiek Begin Speel , van Karen Zoid. In die liedjie sing sy:

“Ek wil hê jy moet saam sing As musiek begin speel En dans in Die somer se reën.”

Die vraag is: Wanneer kan ons saam sing en saam dans? Die antwoord: Wanneer ons gelukkig is. En dan gee sy vir haar seun in die liedjie raad oor wat hy moet doen om

Mev Conradie

150 | Hoër Meisieskool La Rochelle | Girls’ High School