Another new year has dawned and as is customary, resolutions have been made, again. For some, its perhaps to let go of some acquired bad habits, lose weight, buy a car, achieve career advancement, the list could go on a mile. I have made a few myself, the key being not to make promises I couldn’t possibly keep. When a new year dawns, it feels like a rebirth, another chance to do more or more importantly, to BE more. Hope is rekindled as we vow to do things differently, make more of an effort and have something to show for it. All good thoughts and objectives until we, in a lot of cases unfortunately slip back into our comfortable routines. All that really divides one year from the next is a second, and yet it is all so important and bears the weight of our resolutions and purposed convictions.
For a lot of us, life seems monotonous with the daily routines being repeated and rarely ever are there any surprises. This is not necessarily a bad thing but for some of us who thirst for more, for a breakthrough, it can be quite frustrating, even infuriating sometimes. Trying so hard to break the cycle of mediocrity and achieving greatness can be an addiction that has to be fed and catered to. However, In our quest to do better (in the new year, short term), appreciation for the things or events of the past that have impacted us in one way or the other are often relegated to the back seat.
Yet there are so many who would consider our mediocrity a gift to be welcomed any given day, something over and above the predicaments they unfortunately find themselves in, victims of circumstances. Take a war zone for instance where people live in constant fear and unpredictability. The helpless and hopeless individuals often resigned to their fate with the dawn of a new year meaning another twelve months of the same or worse. When we look around us and compare situations, it is clear that the world does not treat us all the same, an over stated cliché but true none the less.
Reviewing the past year, 2011, soo much transpired, some good, others not so good and a lot just quite heartbreaking. Soo many precious souls worldwide were lost for reasons that are varied, floods, famine, war, draught, tsunami, earthquakes, emancipation fight, gang banging, drug battles over territory, abuse, nuclear poisoning, illnesses of various kinds and degrees of severity, ‘friendly fire’ and murder, all tragic, all too real.
If at one point in time (and I am aware that the chances of this happening in this mercenary world is slim) every single wealthy individual or person of means gave freely a portion of what they have to alleviate the misfortune population of this world and all what is given went directly to the intended beneficiaries, poverty would be a problem on its way to eradication. Yet there are other negative issues affecting mankind to tackle.
I remember the queen of talk show Oprah say once that material possession do not make a person truly happy, and I recall thinking at the time that it was probably because she had it soo good that not having was perhaps a foreign concept to her. Yet since then, I have grown to appreciate the wisdom of those words. There is more joy to be found in giving and sharing that in receiving and amassing.
All too often, we are recipients of emotions or actions that leave us agitated or in extremes fuming with rage. Our basic instinct is to retaliate or come back with a re-joiner either verbally, physically or both that will appease us. But vengeance is not ours to carry out. This Is where the beauty of forgiveness comes in. We are in effect doing ourselves a favor in the sense that we are letting go of the emotional upheaval that has been wrecked on you. Let’s face it, the offenders hardly give the offended a second though. And hanging on gives them power over us.
The year 2012 should be one of distinct difference, of positive change with qualities like hope, faith and love being the key drivers of our every thought, action and direction. Let us be worthy of our lives, inspiring and aspiring to not only be better but to spearhead a mission to make a difference in other peoples’ lives. Draw on the principle of self preservation and confidence because, we are WORTH IT.
So in keeping with the theme in the very first edition of this column in this New Year, I extend to all valued readers my fondest and most inspirational wishes. Here is not to just hoping and dreaming but to fulfilling them through hard work and dedication. And when it seems like there is a force obstructing our progress, obstacles blocking our achieving of our dreams, making them illusive, we’ll remember and voice out our believe that this is our time to LIVE OUR BEST LIFES. We are a success no matter what anyone says to the contrary.
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