The Zimbabwean roads flicker past like a homemade video filmed on a family road trip. I’m sitting in the backseat of my grandfather’s car staring out the window, daydreaming about what Quest Africa will bring, take and create in the immediate future. I was nervous, but excited. Insecure, yet steadfast- that Quest will be exactly what I need at this period of my life.
After the Quest experience, when I wake up in the morning and look myself in the mirror- will I be happy with the Man who stares back at me?
The rationale below will attempt to encapsulate how I’ve changed and answer my own proposed questions above. It’s impossible for this essay to capture all of my learning’s, but through this process of evaluation and predilection of key learning experiences I hope to have created a powerful index to what I’ve learnt and taken to heart since February 8th – The first day of Quest. These are my 7 months of growth laid before you and I’d like to share this reflection with you.
New Found Perspective
After the first week of Quest we as a year group went off to Social Acumen with Jackie Stewart. We had to deliver an “I” speech to the rest of our peers; Not just a run of the mill “I” speech- one where you open yourself up to everyone for judgment and speculation like a patient on the operating table. Abe- my twin brother said that he’d learnt more things about me during that ‘surgery’ than he’d ever before. After listening to 24 other heartfelt stories I realized that every single boy at Quest had one major thing in common- That everybody had problems and issues in their lives that they needed to work out; be it their stressful Matric, divorced parents, stolen farms or adoptions to name a few. I knew from that moment on that this is the place for me! This is the place where an atmosphere of growth and introspection would be encouraged. A place where everyone’s lives are intensely different yet intricately intertwined; A place where you will develop a different outlook on life- a newfound perspective.
Extend A Hand
You spend your life in the city, with friends and family equally financially secure as yourself. You drive around in your fancy cars and turn your head when someone less fortunate than you, steps out of their concrete dwelling and into ‘hope’ that you’d somehow help them out. You try to look busy, as the light turns green and never pass a thought and you left foot retreats and your right advances in an unconscious motion.
The festivities of Easter were in the air. I was racing along on my mountain bike in the Matopos; as I’d cycle past, children would litter the ‘bush sidewalk’, waving and giggle in excitement at this spectacle. The first couple I passed “I tried to look busy” and carried on cycling-my left and right foot taking it in turns to apply downwards thrusts.
I soon realized that by simply taking 1 second of my time and an equally small amount of energy I could make someone’s day: I stopped on the side of the road, low on water and nourishment .I pulled out a chocolate from my back pack as my mouth started watering from the thought of eating it-but instead- I walked over to a tattered, anxious child and gave it up, because this child would appreciate it so much more that I. “Had he ever eaten Chocolate in Easter?” I used to “try to look busy as the light turned green” but now I realized that some things might be small in your life- a chocolate- but even something as simple as that, has the potential to make someone’s day… so why not extend a hand?
Space Is Growth
I arrived at Oliver Tambo International with a smile on my face- I am home, but it didn’t seem as joyous a feeling as the first break-something was different, I felt on edge and I only figured out why just before I arriving back in Bulawayo: Being at Quest there are no cars, no fancy clothing and no preconceived ideas about anyone and anything-Life is simple and you have space . The ‘space’ changes you… Clothes become functional instead of aesthetic; technology becomes a pain instead of a need; the city is stressful and life instantly becomes more complicated. Gold fish grow in proportion to their fish bowl- Quest boys have the potential to grow in proportion to the space Quiet Waters offers- 30 000 acres.
We’ve heard this said over and over to us. A seed grows and becomes a tree. Greatness starts quite innocuously and without fanfare. Even a King can be born in a manger. Quest Africa started out with an idea and look at what it has become today; I started Quest as someone who was insecure about whom he was, and today I sit here confident. Armed with a new perspective not only on the world but somewhere a little closer to home-myself.
You’re all you’ve got
“At Quest- the 24 of you may be together, but at the end of the day, you walk alone” -Sue Stone
Fitness tests- a day to be feared as the dynamic Sue Stone kick starts the Boeing 747 called- sweat. “The only person you can bullshit is yourself” echoes in your head as you gasp for air and your muscles prove themselves “You’re all you’ve got” she repeats evoking a second breath of determination and grit. These words I’ve learnt are incredibly powerful used in the right context; There have been countless times where I feel that life is unfair because I count on the security of being part of a group instead of taking responsibility for myself. I used to be quick to point fingers at others- but since quest I realized that when straighten your index finger to blame someone else- three fingers are pointing right back at you; ultimately you walk alone.
“Be yourself because everyone else is taken”
I’ve just phoned home and can hear my father’s reassuring voice and my mother’s endearing one, asking about the experience that Quest has brought since we last spoke. Their voices bring me comfort and the thought of home and small luxuries echoes through my mind leaving a nostalgic emotion behind. The phone cuts out due to lack of reception and I walk back to my tent with my head hung low; “I’m all I’ve got” I say to myself sternly, lifting my head and raising my chin in a confident swoop. I’m not in school anymore, I need to crawl out of the cotton wool I’ve been wrapped in and expose myself to the real world- I’m the only person I have to live with everyday, the person who stares back at me when I look in the mirror…
At Quest with the caliber of lecturers we’ve had pass through the Quiet waters gates it makes it impossible not to see a better man in the mirror. When you have 24 boys sitting in a room, open minded, encouraging growth; and you put a top class lecturer in front of us: speaking from the heart, highlighting their own mistakes and basking in their success’ only good can come of the experience.
Be Pro-Active
One of the first lesson Mr. Shultz taught me was: being Pro-active in every situation boosts the chances of it becoming a success at the end of the line. Being Pro-active and getting things done is completely different to “being pro-active” and looking busy. Before Quest-when I was “being pro-active” I was actually just looking busy and even fooled myself at that.
Make a Plan
“Now anyone can tell you to make a plan, but only a few really know how to make one”
Allow me to explain with an anecdote:
The weather was miserable: Rain was getting into every orifice of my body. The cold was seeping into my bones, the feeling of despondency was filtering into my psyche and we had broken down. The first time we broke down the DAF Truck’s solenoid- engaging the 4-wheel drive was not functioning; so a plan was made: William Shultz fixed the solenoid with a piece of wood he cut from a tree and fastened it with some wire. The second time we broke down the boat trailer’s wheel had got a puncture:
Zach: No problem, so we’ll use the spare
Ben Marffy: There’s no spare
Zach: So we’ll use the other car’s spare wheel?
Ben Marffy: The trailer’s wheel size is different.
So there I am, clueless as to how we are going to get this trailer to the campsite when Mr. Shultz decides to make a plan: “Get some leaves and twigs and we’ll fill the tyre with it so that the wheel can turn”; and Bob’s your uncle, we got it to the campsite. I don’t know if making a plan is a Zimbabwean thing, but back in South Africa there is a completely different outlook; with the first and second breakdown the AA would have been called immediately. Before Quest if something of mine had broken I would have bought a new one, but since Quest I’ve learnt that a plan can be made in any situation- you just need to have the right plan and be pro-active in its execution.
Do it Now!
Leo Buscaglia was a great orator and the crux of many of his inspirational lectures was the sentence:
“Do it now, because you may never have the opportunity to do it again!”
I didn’t understand the true power of it until Quest thrust me into its true application. Quest is a course, which I will never experience again- so I’ve tried to experience it to the fullest, live in the moment and cherish the breathtaking experiences thrown at me because as sad as it is they’re not coming again…
Dive Right In
Flash back- My body feels unresponsive as I stand on the edge of my school swimming pool at 5:30 in my morning; I Know the water is cold and I refuse to get in until my coach voices a threat… Today- My body feels unresponsive as I twist, loop and pull my shoelaces at 5:30 in the morning; I know the winter air is cold-but instead I have a different outlook- I dive right in and push myself to the fullest straight from the get-go, right until my breathless chest passes the finish line: So What changed? I learnt that you have to jump in with both feet and tackle it with all your might. “A task worth doing is a task worth doing properly” and if you have to do it, do it with a smile on your face.
Grit Threshold
“Don’t believe in any of the restrictions you’ve set yourself in the past because your grit threshold has no limitations.” Zach louw
It’s Iron Will-You’re running with a hiking rucksack on your back; you’ve come 22km through hills, mountains, marshlands and dirt roads and you are on the last stretch of the race; you can smell the finish line- it’s only 4km’s away. You’ve run the whole way, racing for pride and personal gratification. You have blisters that are bleeding though your socks, your feet are bruised and tender, your brow sweaty and your neck sun burnt; you briefly consider giving up, and that initial suggestion grows like the butterfly effect and turns into a sane probability unconsciously slowing the pace of your labored run- “Give up” your mind urges… “Your body can’t take any more!” At Quest I’ve learnt that your body has a grit threshold a lot higher than your brain’s; you just need to train your mind not to think negatively but instead to think optimistically about the boundaries and limitations you have previously set yourself. If it weren’t for Quest teaching me this valuable lesson- I would have given up during Iron Will on that last 4km stretch-Instead I pushed my mental boundaries and initiated my shattered body to cross the finish line. Andrew Nocton-Smith and I won the U23 section of Iron Will and came 4th overall.
Patience Breeds Greatness
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”- you just need to have the patience to repeat that step countless times
The Quest course is 7 months and it’s a long time to be away from places and people you are acquainted with. 7 months is 18 144 000 seconds and it all started with the first tick of your watches second hand; Quest not only gives you ample time to be patient with the man you’re becoming, but also chisels, moulds and guides you- you don’t just develop into the person you are over night, and if you did I promise you, you wouldn’t be the sharpest tool in the shed. Without Quest as a gap year I wouldn’t be learning all these valuable lessons- I wouldn’t have found a mentor and a guide and would be rushing the process of becoming a man- Patience breeds greatness.
Listen And Learn
Juan Le Grange is one of the most special individuals I’ve ever come across in my life. He has been through every difficulty you can imagine and still has an aura of enthusiasm and kindness, which would put Father Christmas to shame. I really am going to miss him a lot because he confided in me, trusted me and has taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. I really would have never got the opportunity to become close to Juan if I didn’t have the opportunity to do so.
“Even the most unassuming can teach” Zach Louw
Quest has taught me that all human beings have different circumstances, perspectives and complexities; They all have incredible stories and in Juan’s case- lessons they can teach you- All you have to do is have the patience to listen to their life stories.
Effective Communication
At Quest miscommunication has been a problem; be it as simple as leaving a bucket behind when travelling to Carlisle, the waking time for morning fitness or the date leaving for a camping trip- Miscommunication has been the cause of many conflicts.
Effective communication save’s you a lot of frustration and ensures that you are understood outright, leaving no room for err.
“The spoken word has the power to wound like a blade and praise like the gospel” Zach louw
Communication is something you’ve used every since childbirth and will continue to until deathbed, so why not get good at it? At Quest I never thought the way I communicated could have got better, but Jackie Stewart’s Social Acumen workshops opened my eyes to how much I still had to learn. Every day at Quest you are thrown into situations where you have to communicate effectively in a non-aggressive manner. When you’re frustrated with someone, effective communication will be the difference between resolving the problem, and making an even bigger one. Speaking to someone positively -even when you’re frustrated- gets the points across more effectively and without an increase of blood pressure.
An Older Man Staring Back
Since Quest started on the 8th February I’ve made many mistakes and I’ve learnt from them. Normally I would have picked myself up, but this time something was different: When I failed, instead of crawling to my feet- I had 23 brothers extending their hands -lifting me up-dusting me off and encouraging me to started again: When starting a job in the future it’s good to have learnt these lessons and made these mistakes at Quest because in big bad world called life, it would be a lot less forgiving. Life doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be lived.
Going into the future: I now know my strengths and weakness better. Quest has confirmed which direction I would like to head my career’s “ compass”. I know now that business and it’s numerous aspects will keep me stimulated and interested going into the future. Most significantly: I know now who I am and no one can teach you that…Quest has been the best thing for me at this stage in my life because its given me the time to get to understand myself, it’s given me the time to make mistakes and learn from them without a teacher’s red ink, marking an “X” on the biggest test I’ll ever write called: Zach Mason Louw.
I’m hungry to learn and progress. I’m more confident, less arrogant and have a better understanding of the complexities of human relationships.
I would like to end this document of introspection with a quote by Flavia Weedn-“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” The Quest course has come into my life, stayed 7 months, left footprints on my heart and I will never, ever be the same. Some people say that the eyes are the passageway to the heart; if that’s true and Quest has left footprints in my heart, then when I look in the mirror and stare back at myself I will see a reflection worth looking at.
The Forever Changing Reflection
by
Zach Louw