James McCartney

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@GaytonMcK @dricusduplessis The love for South Africa is unreal!
Great win Champ! 💪🏻🇿🇦

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@SA20_League QDK should not have been given out, fielders right foot is touching the rope when the catch is taken…poor umpiring 🤯

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@SA20_League QDK should’ve been not out, fielders right foot clearly touching the rope when catch is taken - poor 3rd umpire! 🤯

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@OfficialProteas have made it into the final! 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 so proud! 👏🏻#T20IWorldCup

[Curiosity @MAstronomers]

Clearest image ever taken of Venus. (Infrared)

By Japan's Akatsuki spacecraft 🔥

[Brent Lindeque @BrentLindeque]

Living in South Africa is like being on a bladdy rollercoaster.

Things change here by the second.

And best we be ready for it.

One moment, you’re screaming, “What the heck! She won a Grammy”, and the next, you’re watching a video of a press conference screaming at Fikile Mbalula, who is waffling on about how André de Ruyter single-handedly brought loadshedding to South Africa.

Like, we did maths… and history, my bru. Andy Pants only took on the role of CEO 13 years after the power problems started.

2020 minus 2007 equals?

Ag, never mind.

The news is bleak. Or can seem very bleak. And sometimes you can’t even read it properly and only get the clickbait headline (which actually makes it far worse) because it’s behind a paywall or a very annoying, please sign up here thingy. So our brains see the worst of the worst and our opinions on things become facts (in our own minds). And all we believe is that there is more kak out there than good things.

But that’s not true.

I want to give you some perspective today. It’s not all bad. There is good out there. Sometimes, we just have to look for it a little harder. And I know what you’re thinking… Bafana Bafana, Tyla, Trevor Noah being the hostest with the mostest. Ja, we reported on that… but there were other really awesome things that have happened in the last week.

The Good Things Guy team publish between 10 to 15 good news stories every day. There is no paywall. You don’t need to sign up. It’s all free for you.

And it’s proper feel-good stuff.

To remind you of this, I’ve randomly picked 7 stories from the last 7 days so that you can see some of the good happening all around us.

Here goes.

Last week there was a massive fire in the Western Cape. It was absolutely tragic and scary but in the midst of the heartache, volunteers stepped up to do the most. South Africans from all walks of life stood together to fight the blaze. And then comfort those in need. Remember my favourite quote… in times of tragedy, look for the helpers. They will always be there.

A South African Extra Virgin Olive Oil earned global recognition at a prestigious awards ceremony in Madrid. Like, we won ONE OF THE TOP PRIZES! We are flipping champions!

Officer Shiven Latchman encountered a homeless man named Siyabonga Phewa in Durbs; he knew the ambitious young man had a future far brighter than the one he was living and became determined to help him get back on his feet. And then he did. This story will give you all the bladdy feels! Helpers all around!!!!

Another singer is making global waves! She’s Portuguese / South African and has sung her way to something called Festival da Canção. But here’s the cracker: if she wins the finals, then her next stop will be competing in Eurovision!!!!! Friends, her name is FILIPA and she will be the next champion that South Africa will be celebrating. WATCH THIS SPACE.

Then there was a story about a pup named Miley, who was bitten by a Boomslang and desperately needed anti-venom…. a group of heroes rallied together to get the medicine from the North West to the Western Cape in time to save her. Ummmm… that’s over 1,600 kilometres. And they saved her!!!!!!

HUNDREDS of schools (which means thousands of kids) are teaming up to change lives. They have pledged to collect as many bread tags as possible to not only help the environment but recycle to tops to make wheelchairs for those in need. Sometimes the smallest things are actually the biggest things.

Oh and then yesterday, I put a call out to help a friend who I have never met but have been connected to for a number of years. The outpouring of love has left me speechless. I can only imagine how Jacques must feel. He goes in today for another round of chemo. He has lost his ear, neck glands, and part of his eyebrow area. He now faces losing his eye. But I kind of think because of you, he is going into the hospital today knowing that there is a village behind him. Thank you for sharing your kindness… and Jacques, you got this boy.

Friends, it’s tough out there. The news can seem bleak but we must remember that there is another narrative. And that narrative is all about Good South Africans. And there are SO MANY!!! Kind people. Helpers. Healers. And the Heroes!!!!

There is so much love in this country.

But it’s also election year which means it’s only going to get worse. Our government thrive when we are divided. And so they do things to make us angry at each other. They throw blame around like they throw back Moët. And they will do everything in their power… to hang on to power.

Maar hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie.

We are stronger together.

Tell everyone.

Okay. Love you. Bye.

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@queenkc1 And what a wonderful mama you are and what a beautiful family you have made 💐

[Brent Lindeque @BrentLindeque]

This photo is EVERYTHING!!!

Still can't get over the game last night.

We were at our local and the mood in the bar was properly sad for most of the match. I looked around and everyone looked so sad.

It's like we had all given up. We were watching this thing unfold. And we had lost hope.

I speak about this in my Keynotes but during “cofifi”, a group of clever psychologists coined a term that the world was collectively going through. It’s called “Anticipatory Grief” and the basic meaning of it is that we were all grieving something we hadn’t lost yet.

I kinda feel like South Africans are in a constant state of Anticipatory Grief. Even way before the pandemic.

We are all waiting for another corruption scandal. Waiting to hear about more money being looted by our Government officials - how’s that couch, Mr President? Waiting to hear about another horrible crime committed against someone we know. Or maybe even to us. Waiting to hear about another sad story of a family who can’t eat tonight. More loadshedding. More potholes. More inflation. The list feels almost endless.

It can feel like we’re constantly losing.

Last night, we were all on tenterhooks. For almost 90% of that game, we were all on edge. Most of us had given up. Be honest here, we thought we had lost.

And then something magical happened. In those last 10 minutes, the Bokke somehow did it. They turned it all around.

WE WON!!!!

And all of a sudden, the bar erupted. Everyone jumped to their feet. People were screaming. Crying. And hugging each other. Strangers were all celebrating South Africa.

I think that’s a beautiful analogy to what we face as a country.

It can sometimes feel like we’re in a constant losing battle, but it takes 10 minutes to change everything.

Yes, in times of tragedy (and really hectic rugby), look for the helpers and the heroes… cause they will always be there.

I said it yesterday but our team don’t just play rugby. They play with everything they have. They play for every single South African. They play to remind us who we are. And they play to show us who we can be.

And those last 10 minutes showed us exactly who we can be.

Stronger Together!

Proudly South African... and PROUD of South Africa.

Okay. Love you. Bye.

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@BigConcerts @MumfordAndSons

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

The @Springboks take the field this afternoon to start their defense of the World Cup and holy shit, I am excited!! Go Bokke!! 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 #RugbyWorldCup

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@DanCricket93 Kallis?

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

Happy Birthday to one of the best I know @queenkc1 🎂🥂
Have an awesome day!
We love you ❤️

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@dricusduplessis that was ridiculous 👏🏻 well done!! 🇿🇦

[Klemma @Klemma_r]

I think I will kak myself 🫣

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@twatterbaas This is one of the scariest things I’ve ever read.

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@McIlroyRory just relax, you know the course, you know how to play it, trust your ability #themasters

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@Sunshine_Tour @garyplayer @TrevorImmelman @CA_Schwartzel

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@ProteasMenCSA All the best, what a great servant of the game!

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@MaharajSanj Incompetence, laziness and greed, unfortunately. Just my opinion 🤷🏻‍♂️

[James McCartney @jamesmaclive]

@LawrenceBailey0 It’s Jansen for me hands down