New Year,Old Things

I had intended this to be my first article for the year 2016 but apparently it was taken over by events; and to be honest, with the kind of harassment that I had made an appointment with when January arrived, it proved a bit tasking to collect my thoughts under the circumstances. I, however, do hope that I still have the fire I had when coming up with the header at the time.

Without further ado, allow me to whet your appetite with this fable I heard from the present day Mahatma, Robin Sharma:

Two monks, in their element communal with nature, approached a river bank and as they were about to cross to the other side, saw a beautiful lady who was stranded and had no one to help her cross. One monk decided to volunteer and carried the lady on his shoulders to the other side of the river.

Upon reaching on dry land, the beautiful lady stepped down and thanked them as she went her way.

As the two monks continued with their journey, the volunteer monk noticed that his friend was silent and was putting on a long face, to which he enquired what the matter was.

The latter replied that he was angry because his friend had broken one of the cardinal rules against getting in contact with a woman whilst they are in the monastery.

The volunteer monk replied, “My brother, I left the woman at the river bank, but you’re still carrying her!”

New Year

It must be human nature to want to burden ourselves with issues that are of least benefit to us, but which issues later on prove difficult to put down as gladly.

 How else would you explain the shame, guilt,regret and unforgiveness that so many of us have gotten accustomed to carrying around, and that almost always tend to affect our productivity?

The first three are relatively easier to deal with as they are matters that can be looked at from the learning curve perspective, and thus easier to level with as experience.

A couple determined to fight for their relationship.

As for unforgiveness, you’ll seldom notice anything else that holds you back like carrying this baggage. I won’t ask you to take this to the bank (I choose to demonstrate my sophistication otherwise), but you could prove me wrong by first forgiving.

Veteran motivational speaker and author, Brian Tracy, lists three people that one must forgive,if they are yet to,in order to be able to focus on themselves and on their future.

I) Your parents- For the not so simple reason that parenting is something that you learn on the job-You are trying to mould another human being while at the same time dealing with your own growing up hence making mistakes, most of which are costly and irreversible.

Recognising that your parents gave you life and did all they could to bring you up with the much or little they had, would be a good start to appreciate that they are human, and not perfect. If you fail to forgive your parents, regardless of whether they are alive or dead, or if they deserve it or not, you’ll forever remain a child.

II) Your Ex- This will not only be beneficial to you, but also to the quality of your next relationship and the effects will show even in your parenting style. Most adults are still affected by the manner in which one or both of their parents approached the union, be it through love, coercion, settling (sic) or plain opportunism as can be denoted by the way they were brought up. 

Leave your Exes where they belong, in the past, whether they moved on or not. It’s their loss. Some relationship experts actually advise that you even write them a letter as a form of closure, and with a spring, step in to your future.

III) Forgive yourself so that you may be able to laugh from the heart again. Don’t take yourself too seriously; you will not make it out of this life alive.

Oprah Winfrey advises that true forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience.” 

Old Things

There’s no pat answer as to what constitutes happiness and success, but in my book, peace of mind has to be the greatest wealth that one can possess.

Having set yourself free from the shackles of the past, peace of mind is no longer a mirage. Therefore, one can proceed to carry forward the good habits and deeds that have worked in the past to the New Year.  This will show that you are serious about getting better (To use Jim Rohn’s words).

There are a lot of good habits and daily rituals that have stood the test of time and that are practiced by the most successful people on the planet. This is a well-kept secret that is hidden in books and other media and perhaps due to semantic satiation appears obvious at first glance, but put in to practice, are life-changing.

 If you have been a student of these simple life truths, it would be best to continue pursuing them with a certain level of obsession.

I) Faith is the number one habit that you should jealously continue to cultivate. Belief in possibilities, and that the universe is conspiring to help you attain your dreams helps your hope to spring eternal despite the surprises of life.

Paracelcus, a 15^th Century Swiss philosopher, is famously quoted thus,‘‘Whether the object of your faith be real or false, you will nevertheless obtain the same results.” 

This explains why people continue to worship various deities,symbols of nature  and supernatural phenomenon expressed as objects of religion and dogma as they were passed down through generations, since it works for them.

For instance, a person might pray to a cloud, which could be personified as a god, for healing, and get well; not so much because the cloud did it, but because of his or her level of faith in that cloud. Psychologists prefer to call this the power of the subconscious.

Before democracy came into being, Kings and Queens were said to rule at the pleasure of the Almighty. In medieval times, first-hand information missed the majority of the populace since it was in writing and only the elite were taught how to read,and if it was very important,it would be written in Latin, which again was a preserve of the aristocracts. 

The goal of the subjects was therefore to serve,please and die for the mornach because by doing so,they were doing it for God. Over time, social revolution coupled with progressive laws have guaranteed freedom of worship and now everyone can embrace the truth as he or she perceives it.

Knowing that you have a direct line to a Higher being,Faith and Belief frees the self from carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Trying to figure out everything by yourself is quite exhausting and the rewards short-lived. In this respect you can’t help but pity atheists.

Once you acknowledge that all you’ll ever need and more belongs to Him, and that as He has given to others He can do the same to you so you won’t have to worship man, total surrender is easy and peace of mind never before experienced follows. 

I owe this gem of wisdom to my favourite Aunt; though it took me longer than necessary for it to sink. I know you are wiser.

Salvation is the noun.

Witty Man of God,Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke recently posted on his Facebook page that, ‘‘We are servants of God,and not secret agents’’.

I can dare you, dear reader, to look at some thing or event in the past that should have defeated and crashed you totally, but you’re still standing and hopeful today,and doing even much better. Tell me if that was not God preparing you and toughening you for bigger tasks you are able to face today.Don't take for granted the strength and wisdom you have now;you paid for it!At this point you can only go from strength to strength.

So yes,activate your faith in whoever you believe in but if you don’t yet have a personal relationship with God, Taste and see that He is good!(Ps.34:8)

II)Daily Habits and Rituals: With peace of mind, it’s now easier to replace bad habits with good ones. You will notice that, for instance, you don’t need alcohol to unwind; exercise is just as relaxing, if not better; and so will getting in to the mind of a good author by seeing life through another’s eyes since you'll be having more time to read  good books.

 It was the legendary,Black prophet and entrepreneur,Marcus Mosiah Garvey who once wrote in his blog that, ''Personal experience is not enough for a human being to get all the useful knowledge of life,because the individual life is too short;so we must feed on the experience of others."

Subsequently,you will be able replace self-loathing and pity parties hence with deeds of kindness to others who are less fortunate,thus warding off all the attention on your perceived shortcomings.Zig Ziglar says that you can have everything you want in life,if you will just help enough other people get what they want.

Therefore,continue to give through charity, tithes and time to those who need your unique gifts residing within you that only you can give, through mentoring  and also community service.

III) Gratitude: Everything good begins with gratitude. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” says Marcus Tullius Cicero.Being grateful for the much you have cannot be gainsaid because in reality, someone somewhere wishes they could have your problems. 

You recall the story of the man who complained that he had no shoes until he saw someone who had no feet?Yes,be thankful.Complaining all the time and comparing yourself with others is just tantamount to giving the devil a tiny renting place in your mind, and soon he’ll take it all over.The devil is a liar!

IV)Keep working hard: Having left the past behind,and installed the good habits to keep you in the right frame of mind,the only thing left is plain,good old,hard work.To sustain the momentum, you have to remain active as much as you can.

Einstein says that, ‘‘Life is like riding a bicycle.To keep your balance you must keep moving." So, volunteer, work more than you are paid for, write (thinking is free)..just stay active.

V)Giants: Finally, surround yourself with quality people.Find a good mentor first,and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and mistakes as you stretch for your goals.A mentor will help you identify with your purpose early enough as you gain practical skills.

Isaac Newton says, ‘‘I was able to see far because I stood on the shoulders of giants’’.

Walk with the giants every day of your life,and wisdom won’t be far from your ears.

The Bible is filled with larger than life examples,and so does folklore.Also,note the leaders who denote excellence in certain fields that interest you and resolve to be a student and not a follower;a river and not a reservoir.

Conclusion

On a daily basis, create time for Greatness gurus like Les Brown,Earl Nightingale,Brian Tracy,John C Maxwell,Jim Rohn,Robin Sharma, Joseph Murphy and their ilk for essential doses of uplifting and enlightening nuggets of wisdom.

Importantly, have spiritual nourishment as often as you can by joining a progressive, Bible-based church.Don't settle in this regard because a church,more often than not,should suit your personality.Just like looking for an apartment to rent or a neighbourhood to live in,don't compromise til you feel at home in your church.

Consider this just as a starting point.Know how much you don't know,and you'll be amazed at how much more you are capable of learning.

I hope I have ignited something in you if you have managed to read up to this point.

Someone rightfully said that Peace is a state of mind; therefore, I wish you all of it imaginable. Everything else just work hard for it.

I’ll end with this quote from Earl Nightingale, ''Life is dull only to dull people, interesting only to interesting people, and successful only to successful people.''