Saturday, December 14, 2024
Home Authors Posts by Ryniel Muthusami

Ryniel Muthusami

A life of significance

Do you ever wonder how it is that your life could possibly make a difference or whether the life you lead is of any significance? Maybe not everyone is that deep but I am a thinker and I often ask these questions. Is the way I live impacting others for good or in my case showing people Jesus as I aim to imitate Him the best I can every day.

No doubt I fail every day as much as I try not to, but I believe as long as our hearts are pure and have no agenda to get to a “higher status”, so to speak, then really that is where I want to be in my life. It’s not so much a case of wondering am I leading a life worth following, it’s more am I happy in my own skin? It’s am I content with the season I am in? It’s am I in right relationship with God? For me if I can answer yes to these questions then I know that whether or not I am being influential or not, I am more importantly being true to myself and to God, the two most important people to ever try to please or make happy.

Out of living this way I believe that without even trying you will lead a life worth following or a life that inspires others. Why? because it is your life, your story, something that is unique from everybody else. The way I live my life will be out of my experiences, failures, success and life lessons.

So I leave you with this if you are learning from your failures, staying humble through your success and looking at life as one big lesson then I would like to encourage you that you are already leading a life worth following. A life that is inspiring; a life that is worth it!

Just a few things that I have learned in my 29 years of life that could help you to recognize whether you are living up to all that God has called you to be.

1: Do you know who you truly are in Jesus Christ? – do you have a personal relationship with Him?

2: Do you have a healthy perception of yourself – what do you see when you look in the mirror?

3: Are you content with where you are in your life – do you strive for other things all the time or wish to have what someone else has?

4: Do you have a vision -for where you want to be in the next 5 years?

5: Do you have dreams? – are you dreaming big?

 

Click on the link below to find out more if you would like to lead a life of significance.

Embrace life

I am probably the last person that should talk about this, simply because it took me nearly half my life to learn the art of taking responsibility and embracing whatever I’m faced with. Then again, maybe I am the best person because I changed my ways and have spent nearly half my life embracing whatever has come my way.

You notice in that little statement 2 options were given yet we so often blinded to the fact that we have a choice. In any situation there’s always more than one way of looking at it, but thanks to human nature, we are drawn to the negative side.

So what if I took half my life time to figure something out? The fact is, I did!

What we all need to master is the art of letting go. That’s where it all begins and magic starts to happen.

Let go!

This is probably one of the most difficult things you have to do but we all face it at some point in our lives. Sometimes we focus a bit too much on things that are not even meant for us in the first place. We become too engrossed with fitting in. The idea of being accepted and loved becomes more of a mission, something to accomplish. People-pleasing has become a daily routine, so much so that we create an unhealthy pattern of behavior, without even realizing it.

The first step is to learn to understand that not everyone is like you. Not everyone share the same values, principles, morals, likes and dislikes and here’s the best part – that’s okay! We were all created unique and that’s what makes you outstanding! The sad part is not everyone can accept and be open to this, those people become self-absorbed – now this has nothing to do with you, it has everything to do with them.

Sometimes, we shatter into a gazillion pieces because we didn’t get that promotion, we didn’t win that person over, our presentation wasn’t the best, our this and our that….stop for a while….it’s okay not be number 1 all the time. It’s okay to go through life in stages, it’s okay when someone else seems more accepted and liked then you are. That does not define you or your character. That does not make you any less special. Everyone has their own time and season for everything and you have the ability and choice to shine when you want to, not to prove anything to anybody but to remind yourself of the bright star that’s within you.

I was recently told “you’re very different”. I had the choice of receiving that in a negative way – allowing it to bring me down and consider myself inferior to others, question my character and compare myself to other people – or I really could accept that I am different and thank God for making me unique and outstanding. Different in a positive way, in a way that makes me stand out from the rest. Different in ways other people long to be – that was my choice!

Stop being a doormat, that was never God’s intention for your life! Own your situation, own your life and take responsibility for things which you can control and accept the fact that some things are beyond your control. You can’t change people but you can change whose around you. Don’t compromise your happiness, your blessings and certainly not your true, unique self!

Confessions of a DJ

I love music, always have and I’ve been into various different genre’s of music, except rock – I just don’t get it but that’s besides the point. I also once upon a time loved to party, most of all to dance to some good music. I remember going to events, bars and clubs to go and see various DJs playing guys who in the industry were taking it to the next level! I’ll never forget being underage in a popular night club just because I wanted to see the scratch master of the time, DJ Reddy D, go hard on some vinyl! I remember standing there in absolute awe as he DJed, scratching on two vinyl decks using his fingers, arms, elbows and even his tongue! I was hooked! From then on my obsession with becoming a DJ was born and the thirst was real!

It’s crazy how the DJ industry has grown. Previously DJs always took the backseat to a live performance because no one really believed that DJ’s were actually “performers” or that it was even a real thing. Nowadays there are whole shows and events that center around DJs, like Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland. I think it’s amazing to see this transformation mostly because in the music industry chain the DJ’s are really the ones who sell the music to people.

As a DJ I really just wanted to share some thoughts on DJ etiquette and dos and don’ts I’ve picked up from when I DJ. (Caution: some of the following points may seem mean.)

1) Lets not talk Life

I’m a friendly guy and I love people, so naturally people like to talk to me but when I’m DJing please don’t talk to me. I mean I’ll say “hi” or “whats up” but for those 20 mins or so I’m actually performing to people. Imagine someone having a full on conversation to Justin Bieber while he was trying to sing “Sorry”. Side note – I really want to apologize to you if you’re reading this and have done this to me or any other DJ – Don’t take it personally – we were kind of busy doing our thing!

2) You can’t sit with us

The second most common thing people love ask is ”can I watch you” or “can I sit here and watch” usually I’m so engrossed in what I’m doing I just nod. Later on I have this uneasy feeling as the crowed behind me becomes as big as the one in front of me. Sometimes it feels like people are literally peering over my shoulder, truth is I get really nervous and start making mistakes. Now I get you want to learn how it works but it’s really intimidating so please let me get on with it. #igotthis, so linger don’t stay please.

3) Can you please play…..

If I had a dollar for every time I heard this I would be a billionaire.  I get it, everybody has their favorite song, their “jam” but there are a lot of people and if I just played everybody favorite song then that doesn’t make me a DJ that makes me a Jukebox.  I’m there to play you your jam like you’ve never heard it before, like the radio but 1000 times better. It’s my job to give you something you’ve never heard on the radio or seen on TV and make you so happy and excited that you get up and start dancing!

So I’ve developed a new rule – and it’s pretty mean! Usually a DJ has spend countless number of hours learning to mix music and preparing a set or genre of music that will suit the crowed or environment they are in. This is based on audience profiling, so before we get there we as DJ’s research the demographics, interests, style of music, beats per minute and the rest, to influence what to play at what time.  So my new rule is this: Pay to Play. If you really want your favorite song – Pay! I’ll play it right after this next song.

All of this sounds really harsh and some of you may be thinking “wow! he is such a drama queen” But all of this really makes me giggle because this happens so often and I love hearing other DJs tell tales of that night when this guy or this girl did that… It kind of makes it fun. So if you’re reading this please take note of above!

The thing I’ve learnt from all of this is simple. My gift is not my own. It’s God’s. It’s about other people, it’s about their God experience and it’s not about me. I say this because a lot of my DJing happens in church.  God gave me this gift as a vessel for people to encounter who He is so it really isn’t about me.

Can the resurrection be proven?

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In today’s episode of Ask1 we ask a pivotal question: Can the resurrection of Jesus be proven? Did something else happen to the body of Jesus? Did he even die in the first place? Join us as we unravel this frequently asked question. (PS – We’d love to hear what you think, so drop a comment if you’re keen! If you’d like to catch future episodes, simply subscribe to our Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT8lukMSjodgN21tq0Ke3yw?sub_confirmation=1).

Did Jesus really exist?

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Did Jesus actually exist, or is he simply a mythical figure – no more than a human invention? In this episode of Ask1, we ask (and answer!) some tough questions about Jesus of Nazareth!

(PS – We’d love to hear what you think, so drop a comment if you’re keen! If you’d like to catch future episodes, simply subscribe to our Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT8lukMSjodgN21tq0Ke3yw?sub_confirmation=1).

Sketchy or not?

I love my hometown, Durban in South Africa.  I was born and raised there. It’s an interesting city for two reasons; One – because of the massive mixture of culture and landscape. And two – because of the extreme levels of creativity that heralds from this city, oh and also the city has a massive love for cars – most modifying them but also another love.

I’ve always loved music. I think from a young age I’ve always listened to a wide variety of music from 80s, RnB, Pop, Soul, Dance, House… the list goes on.  It’s funny because even though this city loves cars what resulted from that was the music, because people loved either modifying their cars to go really fast or to make the sound systems loud enough to make you have tinnitus. All my life I had lived in this city and I missed it… The real love it had was a love for music.

Naturally, my love for music combined with my love for technology, and I always had this desire to become a DJ! I remember finding my dad’s old record player from his hi-fi system and trying to “scratch” on a record – breaking the needle and not knowing how to fix it! I remember finding this mini 4 channel mixer that I tried to hook up to CD player and DVD players just to try to mix something.

I’ve been really proud of my city lately with tonnes extremely talented artists and produces rising to the occasion! One such who I was extremely proud of was Yuvir Pillay also know by his stage name “Sketchy Bongo”.  A DJ by trade, he started applying himself to production and came up with a few hits.  His style and sound was so fresh and new, he had some great guys alongside him. They all comprised to form “the wolf pack”;  Sketchy Bongo, Aewon Wolf, Deemo, Kyle deutsch and Shekhinah.

Sketchy burst into the scene really quickly dropping hit after hit in the space of a year.  He has also collaborated with the biggest names in the South African music industry and just this year opened for Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose’ world Tour.  Also this year Sketchy was signed to Ultra Music and he dropped an album titled ‘Unmasked’ (Sketchy Bongo would often perform with a balaclava or beanie with eye holes cut in it)

Here’s where it got sketchy for Sketchy. David Scott from the South African band The Kiffness pointed out something astonishing. A Sketchy Bongo produced track that was not just sampled but a basic copy of a sample pack demo that a company creates to entice users to purchase their sample packs that consist of thousands of different sounds – not beats (take note here because this is important). What makes it worse was that he “produced” this track for another local band and sold it to them for a lot of money.

Here’s the track:

Here’s the sample track:

What’s worse is that this isn’t the end. There are at least two other tracks that are not just samples but blatant copies of songs taken and looped. In some cases, he didn’t change a thing!

As a DJ and music lover this turn of events disappoints me.  I’m of the opinion that it’s okay to sample.  Sampling has been around for ages, it’s a great way to honor the past and creatives who have gone before, while refreshing it with the new, but there’s a line and that’s called stealing. Don’t get me wrong artists and producers do this all the time but I’ve never seen it to this extent.

I loved Sketchy’s music, what he was doing and was in awe of how fast he was doing it! But it made me think again about the ‘fast life’. It’s never just or true it will always catch up to you.

I think about the many other people living out there, maybe even reading this blog that are so focused on the fast life. So focused on making money that they lose sight of what they got into it for – the music, the love, the life.

Don’t live sketchy, live free! You can find out more by clicking the link below.

Does God really exist?

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For many, the Christian God is simply an imaginary concept and belief in His existence is a delusion. Is there a good reason to believe in God? Join us for the second episode of Ask1 as we tackle this controversial topic. (PS – We’d love to hear what you think, send us an email at [email protected] if you’re keen! If you’d like to catch future episodes, subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT8lukMSjodgN21tq0Ke3yw?sub_confirmation=1).

We all need fixing

One of the biggest misconceptions Christians have about themselves is that they need to be ‘fixed’ before they can attract God’s attention. Of course, it is easy to accept this as the truth, when you have spent all your life believing that you cannot accept a love you haven’t earned.

It’s a reality, although cliché at times, just as our faces differ so do our situations. Sometimes a smile does a really good job of hiding what we are actually going through. Most times the turmoil we face is a raging war inside of us. This is fueled by our ambition to get ourselves to a point where we actually feel ‘worth fixing’, worth redemption and worth an actual chance.

I have learned that sometimes we intentionally make bad decisions which wound us. Other times, we fall victim to our circumstances and the environments we find ourselves in. But this does not mean that God has forgotten about us or that there is a special requirement needed before we can access His love.

We’re all broken in places. Some of us experience this brokenness in our relationships, or maybe we’ve been hurt by a close friend. The moral of the story is this: God is attracted to our brokenness.

Scripture in the Bible proves this,

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God”. – Psalm 51:17

Attempting to fix yourself can be a really exhausting experience, because the truth is, we’re just not that powerful. You can rest in knowing that God desires to put all the broken pieces back together like only He knows how.

Did this piece encourage you? Go ahead and watch the video below:

 

Can you trust the bible?

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The Bible is either an ancient collection of fairy-tales and myths, or the greatest book known to man! Join us for the first episode of Ask1 as we explore whether you should be taking the Bible seriously or not… (PS – We’d love to hear what you think, so drop a comment if you’re keen! If you’d like to catch future episodes, simply Like the page).

Is Your Gift Making Room For You?

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I have often heard the scripture

“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men” – Proverbs 18: 16

in church among leaders. At the time I considered this as a bit of a ‘pie in the sky’ idea, assigned to the elite. Never really exploring what this scripture could mean for me, until I experienced this principle in my life and it totally blew my mind.

As with most things, we learn best through experiences. Are you sitting on a gift and wondering if you will ever get an opportunity to showcase it to the world, or if you will ever be able to progress in what God has given you?

Here are four things you need to realise about your gift.

  1. You actually have one

I discovered my gift in high school. I never really thought I was good at anything until someone threw me in at the deep end. Perhaps you’re in the same place. It is important that you realise that each of us have a gift that God has given us. If you don’t know where to start identifying your gift, examine the things you’re really good at.

  1. Take time to cultivate your gift

The more time you spend on your gift. The better you get at it. If I look back at things I wrote 4 years ago, compared to now, I can literally see how I have grown. Don’t be afraid to seek advice from people who have already enhanced their gift. This can be really useful to your progress.

  1. You will face failure and you will arrive at stop streets.

Nobody is born with a deep sense of love for failure, and nobody likes stagnating in their jobs, home life, or relationships, but at times it happens. When it does, it is important that you have a healthy perspective on it. Choose to see the positive side to your failures, you’ll learn your greatest lessons.

  1. Don’t be afraid of the deep-end

I always had a thousand excuses when it came to using my gift or showcasing it to others, especially in church. But, I have learnt that people will throw you in at the deep end, but you can choose whether you’ll sink or swim.

Your gift will make room for you.

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