We managed to get our hands on Bonang Matheba’s new book ‘From A to B’ which shares her journey from growing up in Mafikeng to becoming a global brand.
Regardless of all the hoo-haa on social media over the grammar and errors, there were a few points in the book that could be valuable:
1. My mother who is always throwing gems, little pockets of wisdom says: ” You don’t always have to show up to every war you are invited to and if you are going to take the fight make sure its one you win”.
2. “The media business is not for softies or sensitive types, which is funny because I am a complete softie and get my feelings hurt very easily. And in the beginning, the toughness of the TV and radio industry was a lot for me, I just wasn’t enough a bit**”.
3. “Many people think that mentors are meant to change your life,and that you will find this all-knowing person and then everything in your life will work. But that’s not what a mentor is for, a mentor is just there to guide you; you must create the plans, the blueprint, the goals that the mentor then comes and helps you with. [Written as is in the book]
4. Essentially, your success is your own responsibility.
5. Taking risks is inevitable. Infact, life is defined by either avoiding, mitigating or taking risks and knowing what to do and when.
6. The most powerful and confusing thing a woman can be is a whole person and unashamed of it.
7. Rejection inflicts wounds on a person, but it is an important part of life. If you don’t let it break you, if you allow it, it will guide you in the right direction. [IT TOOK US A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND THIS LINE, HOPEFULLY YOU GET IT, LIKE WE DO AFTER A WHILE]
8. My mother used to say to my brother Thabo: “If a girl wants you to buy her lipstick or do her hair, run in the other direction my boy”. [ Gents, take note…]
9. My mother used to say, to my sister Nthabiseng and me: “Don’t ask boys for hair and lipstick money, and if a boy takes you somewhere have your own money to help pay for popcorn and drinks”. [Gents, are you still there? Ladies take note…]
10. Nothing is as instant as the world wants us to believe. In the times of instant gratification, it is important to note that worthwhile careers and/or brands still need some of that traditional slow cooking.
OUR THOUGHTS:
The grammar and errors made reading the book difficult as your brain plays ‘editor’, which really isn’t the readers responsibility, but hey. Queen B was trying to fill up the pages and took so long to get to the point, which might have contributed to all the errors. The story would have been so much better at a later stage in her life because really, nothing AMAZING came out of A TO B as we anticipated.
A great read will be when she is ready to fully open up about herself and not such scripted writing, but that’s just our opinion.
Drop your comments below & Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook :
