BY NYADZOMBE NYAMPENZA LIFE coach and philanthropist Florence Mudzingwa has published an inspirational book titled Love Life (The Art of Living Your Dreams), which she says is based on her life experiences.
The book’s preface is by Australian ambassador Bronte Moules, who describes Mudzingwa as an insightful and entertaining storyteller.
The title of the book can be an understated, but firm command. To love life is radically different from the attitude of enduring life for the sake of staying alive, a fatalism expressed in urban lingo as “chikuru kufema”.
Mudzingwa told NewsDay Life & Style that the inspiration behind the title of the book was drawn from her life experiences.
She said when she was born, doctors advised her parents that she might not live beyond five years due to her condition scientifically diagnosed as osteogenesis imperfecta, which made her bones fragile and prone to injury.
This condition resulted in her having severe disabilities, but living beyond the odds placed against her.
“In spite of what I have been through, I still love life and want to make the most of each moment, good or bad. My challenges are not unique, but they mirror what everybody else goes through,” she said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has left many people feeling depressed, lockdowns have caused mental health challenges and any little incident can trigger depression or suicidal thoughts.
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“Young adults are committing suicide over failed relationships, or failing in university. This book is, therefore, to inspire people to search deeper within themselves and not continue to dwell on negative emotions, but look at their situation from a positive and brighter perspective.”
Her attitude to life pre-empts any excuse or justification from a reader who might be feeling overwhelmed by difficult circumstances in their life.
“The human spirit is born of ability, perseverance and courage that no disability or anyone can take away …’’ Mudzingwa writes, with powerful conviction.
Many Zimbabweans are facing challenges in their lives and some have resorted to illegal hustling and deals. This is depicted through the book’s subtitle, The Art of Living Your Dreams.
The author advises her readers to seek wealth that brings fulfilment. This is further articulated through practical steps that require persistence, consistency and insistence.
The book is peppered with enough Bible verses to make a sermon, but they are couched in non-dogmatic terms that align with other philosophical thoughts.
At the end of each chapter, the book carries practical advice and exercises under the subtitle Thoughts to Ponder On.
In one instance, the author compels the reader to “Determine what price you are willing to pay to achieve your goal …”
The middle chapter of the book, titled The Joy of Being Me, is very instructive and can be a game-changer for some people.
In this chapter, Mudzingwa dwells on the sense of self in the face of mistakes, failures and other calamities.
The cover of the book features a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
Mudzingwa’s appropriation of the common metaphor elevates it from representing physical transformation into a metaphysical symbol.
The meaning behind the image is refreshed by quotes by Maya Angelou and Anthony Gucciardi.
The cover speaks to healing at psychic and spiritual levels, where disability is for most people.
In Love Life, Mudzingwa with the aid of light humour and hindsight, elevates tragic personal circumstances to lofty heights of gratitude.
While showing grit and mettle, she does not allow the abject situations from her life to get in the way of edifying the reader.
Fellow author and journalist, Philip Chidavaenzi, who edited the book, describes this accomplishment as the balance between Florence the life coach and Florence the person.
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