From normal to ICU . Without warning
I was fine one day. The next, I was struggling to breathe, fighting for every inhalation and placed on oxygen in the ICU. Two weeks ago, I experienced what I now call a life quake.
If you’ve never heard the term, it’s a powerful disruption that shakes your life, shifts your direction, and demands transformation. It doesn’t arrive politely, and it rarely feels convenient, but it comes with purpose. Your life is calling for change.
Finding hope in the smallest things
For me, that quake lasted seven days. In those ICU hours, time slowed. Even a glimpse of an airplane outside my hospital window, its roar and motion from the seventh floor, gave me hope. That small sight became a beacon, I waited for it, letting it remind me that I would get out.
In that space, I wasn’t just Namhla Monakali. I was “a slip-and-fall risk”, a clinical classification meant to protect fragile patients. At first, the label felt cold and impersonal, but it forced me to confront my vulnerability and reflect on how easily life can shift.
Every breath felt monumental. Every heartbeat reminded me how fragile life truly is.
The wake-up call I didn’t know I needed
It forced me to face how I had been living, long hours at work, skipped meals, skipped workouts, stress carried like a badge of honour, rest ignored. I had been investing in everything but my most precious asset, my health.
That’s when it hit me, health is wealth.
No promotion, no car, no social accolade can replace the value of being alive and well. Health is the foundation of everything else. Yet, we often wait for a crisis to force us to notice. I don’t want to wait anymore.
Since that life quake, I’ve committed to caring for myself differently, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’ve learned to listen to my body, to prioritise well-being and to make conscious choices each day that protect and nurture my health.
A teacher’s strength . A timely reminder
Last week was Kidney Awareness Week, and I couldn’t help but think of Asanda Hlamandana, a young, skilled, passionate and dedicated teacher with a Master’s degree (yes, she would want me to mention that she has Masters), whose passion for teaching has always inspired her learners.
I’ve watched her create an inclusive learner-focused learning environment, celebrate their journeys, and helping them reach not only their academic goals.
Watching the relationships she builds with her learners has always been beautiful. Recently, she shared that she had been diagnosed with Stage V renal impairment and is receiving medical attention. She hasn’t updated in a while, and I sincerely hope she is doing well.
Her strength, care, and dedication remind me and all of us that health is precious and must never be taken for granted.
Life quakes clarify what matters
Life quakes are painful, but they are clarifying. They strip away distractions, forcing us to confront what we’ve ignored. They challenge us to grow, to change, and to emerge stronger.
My ICU stay was not just a brush with mortality, it was a chance to redefine priorities, appreciate the little things, and embrace life fully.
Health is freedom. For me? It’s freedom to breathe without struggle, to move without pain, to pursue dreams, to nurture relationships, and to experience joy.
Don’t wait for crisis to value your health
So, take this as my reminder to you, and to myself, cherish your health. Protect it. Honour it. Don’t wait for a life quake to shake you awake.
Make time for rest. Eat mindfully. Move your body. Reflect on your emotions. And above all, prioritise your mental and emotional well-being.
Invest in your health as you would any treasure, because it is the truest form of wealth we will ever know.
To anyone facing a life quake . I see you
If you’re in the middle of a life quake, whether through illness, loss, transition, relocation, grief, new opportunities, or the unpredictable road of entrepreneurship, I see you.
I pray you move through the shock and embrace the beauty trying to break through. I hope, and I live, to reap the rewards of allowing growth to visit, shake me, and usher me into one of the most beautiful seasons of my life.
