Suburban
Jeremiah Mudonha
The year 2021 came to its definitive end albeit on a sad note following deaths of our loved ones mainly due to COVID-19 and road traffic accidents.
Armed robberies have also been a thorn in the flesh throughout the country during the year as gun-wielding criminals continued to ruthlessly ravage homes, offices and businesses.
However, notwithstanding the numerous negatives, we indeed have a lot to celebrate as a nation, communities and individuals. But while basking in former glory is not the most commendable thing to do, weeping over spilt milk is not helpful either.
Putting all that aside lest we spoil the joy, with open arms let us receive the wonderful gift of a new year christened 2022 with its unlimited rays of hope, legions of opportunities and diverse chances to mend.
Wake up and smell the roses.
On one hand, 2021 might have roughed you up and left you down-trodden, bruised and heartbroken to the extent of thinking that you are a bad egg. Thank God every dark cloud has a silver lining.
Behold now the new beginning, the rising sun.
Dust off and move on.
Congratulations to you if, on the other hand, you finished the year on a high note.
Keep up the momentum.
The sky is not the limit!
Whatever your current situation in life is, my advice is arise and shine in 2022.
Yes, you can and you should for our nation and generation is waiting for those who determinedly carry the flame and light up other people’s lives.
I have had some people already whining to me saying that 2022 will be a bad year.
What a wrong, ill-informed forecast from a mere human being and not the all-knowing God!
Well, in the midst of all adversities, choose to remain open-minded and optimistic instead of needlessly subjecting yourself to the heavy yoke of pessimism and or dread of the future. Forget about the opportunities you lost, people who unfairly ditched you and everything that did not turn out as you expected.
Such is indeed the life’s see-saw.
Life, in effect was never meant to be one sweet song without downsides.
Never a rose without thorns.
However, never let regrets and worries over the past take the better part of you.
Let bygones be bygones.
Yes, people might have abused you but they are far from squeezing out the gifts, talents and potentials bestowed upon you by your maker.
Mind you, humans are only capable of taking away the bee’s honey but not its God-given bee-making capacity.
Remain focused in pursuing your dreams.
Follow the river and you will find the sea.
Personally, I am inspired by the life of renowned international preacher Joyce Meyer who, after suffering heart-rending abuse from her biological father and other people still rose to fame.
She proved beyond every iota of doubt that it is not the past that determines the future but determination and having a right mental attitude.
Better focus on the future than dwelling on the past.
Perhaps that explains why automobiles are fitted with big windscreens and incomparably small rear view mirrors or why there are many forward gears and only one reverse gear.
In all your past failures and losses, there is however something that you should never lose- the lesson or lessons learnt.
Take time to be self-introspective.
Objectively list down what could have contributed to your past failures.
Remember it is said that to know the disease is half the cure. Thus, unless if known and guarded against, weaknesses and mistakes are bound to repeat themselves.
Consequently, life will be trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and failure.
No better results can earnestly be expected from the continued use of the same methods over and over again.
Do not keep or whitewash mistakes but, as far as you can, dump them to realise your full potential.
Move on, plan your year.
Draw up a list of your plans or resolutions for the year.
However, be careful that in writing down your list of resolutions, it can feel as if you’ve completed them as well because the appetite for change so often gets appeased merely through creating the list of resolutions and many people stop there.
It is therefore better to have one goal that you take action on than it is to have a dozen resolutions that you ignore after a few days.
Important of all is that you should strive to achieve your laid down goals.
Start that project, embark on that education programme and build that house.
For better or for worse, do not repeat 2021 as one author once said.
It is never late for you to make progress in life.
No one was meant to remain stuck or stagnant at any one level.
Consider the year 2022 as another God-given opportunity for you to rise and shine.
However, averse to your efforts to move on are three principal things namely procrastination, pride and poverty-mentality. Procrastination is the habit of delaying important tasks usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable and easier activities instead.
It is a thief that steals your precious time.
Yet, time flies and waits for nobody, neither can it be stopped by anyone.
You are getting older and older as each day passes by.
Procrastinators are full of excuses.
Winners, however, do not allow excuses to stop them from achieving their dreams.
No excuse is worth stopping your momentum.
Passivity and slothfulness act in complicity with procrastination to derail any of your progressive efforts.
Rise now and shine.
Then, dear reader, throw away pride to move on.
Prideful people are not ready to learn anything new or to adjust their behaviour.
Humble yourself; you are not better than everyone, neither do you have everything nor have you reached your climax.
Lastly, it is the poverty-mentality that has caused many to remain below the salt.
It epitomises an impoverished mind, one that tells you that you do not deserve anything better than who you are, what you have and where you are. Instead of dreaming big, the poverty-mentality tells you not to.
Remember you are poor, uneducated and incompetent, the mentality keeps on whispering to you.
Shake off the poverty mentality and move on.
In conclusion, I urge you not to build castles in the air; rather, make attainable goals.
Rising and shining is not a stroll in the park.
One may sooner fall than rise.
Every positive change comes with costs because whatever costs nothing is worth nothing.
Do not be fooled, the cost of remaining stagnant is actually higher than what you pay for change. Lazy people take the most pains in the end.
Dare to be different in 2022.
Be prepared to meet whatever it takes for you to rise and shine.
Tell yourself that what another person has done I can do also. Why not?
Fortune favours the brave.
Never contemplate quitting before you reach your destiny.
Soldier on.
Winners are not those who never fail but surely those who never quit.
Therefore, challenge yourself to rise, grow and become the better you.
Arise, arise, arise and shine.
May God Almighty bless you with a happy, prosperous year in 2022.
Feedback: [email protected]; Twitter @JeremiahMudonha
