How would your life change if you saw every hardship and obstacle you encountered as a promise of a better future rather than as something that ruins your plans (or just your day)? This kind of perspective is often clear in hindsight, but may be harder to see in the moment. I hope that today’s conversation with Getrude Matshe, who opens up about her recent near-death experience and how past obstacles have led to her happy present, will help give you some of that perspective.

Find Out More About Getrude Here:

Getrude Matshe on LinkedInGetrude Matshe on the Women Economic ForumGetrude Matshe on Huffpost@GetrudeMatshe on Twitter

• [01:52] - Getrude starts things off by telling listeners about her recent near-death experience in Bali.
• [03:45] - Getrude provides more details about the experience itself, and emotionally relates her sense of feeling that her work isn’t yet finished.
• [05:37] - How long did Getrude stay in the hospital?
• [06:46] - Currently, a few weeks after the experience, Getrude doesn’t feel fully recovered and still has some trouble exercising.
• [09:08] - Getrude found her Bali trip transformational on many levels, she explains, beginning with the birthday on which her children gifted her the trip.
• [11:53] - We hear about the importance of learning to love yourself first instead of looking for love externally.
• [12:42] - Stephan shares a recent experience from a Kabbalah class. Getrude then discusses taking off layers to look at herself for who she is.
• [15:22] - We hear about Stephan’s emotional reaction to his own divorce.
• [17:07] - Getrude shares a lesson about family that she learned from her divorce.
• [20:02] - Looking back, what you thought was your worst day may actually be your best day, Stephan points out. He then relates this to his own life.
• [21:57] - Another lesson that Getrude learned from her experiences is the importance of letting go.
• [24:07] - Getrude points out that she thought that the people who would benefit from the divorce are the lawyers. She then shares the words that she spoke to her ex-husband as she left.
• [25:45] - Getrude talks about her newest book, Dying in the Rice Fields of Saba.
• [29:16] - Is the principle of Ubuntu in the new book? As Gertrude answers, she offers an explanation of what Ubuntu means.
• [32:10] - Getrude talks about how she ended up in New Zealand (after growing up in Zimbabwe), including why she left her home country. She talks about the struggles of moving, and explains how they turned out to be blessings.
• [36:46] - We hear about Getrude’s life and successes since she made it to New Zealand. She also describes her first book, Born on the Continent.
• [40:52] - Does Getrude have a name for the film trilogy she has been talking about? She answers, then explains where in the process she is.
• [42:19] - Getrude talks about the charity she set up, Africa Thrive. Stephan then brings up her story of turning shipping containers into clinics, and Getrude discusses her plans.
• [45:01] - It’s a matter of using guerrilla warfare tactics for health, Getrude points out.
• [46:03] - Stephan and Getrude talk about how they met around a decade ago, and the path of their friendship since then.
• [49:21] - If Getrude could offer one piece of advice to listeners to make a difference in the world, what would it be?

Getrude Matshe on LinkedInGetrude Matshe on the Women Economic ForumGetrude Matshe on Huffpost@GetrudeMatshe on TwitterBorn on the ContinentAngiogramHypertension Laughing BuddhaKabbalahUbuntuOn Guerrilla Warfare by Mao Tse-tung