Man in the Mirror
“I’m gonna make a change, for once in
my life............I’m starting with the man in the mirror!” This is an excerpt from Michael
Jackson’s song, ‘Man in the Mirror’. It is my favourite song from the late
musician but this year, I am hearing it with new revelation. I am a Layman and
everybody knows that. I have however made myself into some kind of an expert. I
have become an advice giver trying to provide solutions to all sorts of
problems that people are going through. After serious reflection (and listening
to Michael Jackson music), I have decided to do something about my own life.
Reincarnating the White Elephants
White
elephants are projects that are started and later abandoned after using up a
lot of time, money, and other resources. When white elephants are mentioned, most
of us think about government projects and scandals. Today however, I am talking
about my own personal white elephants. I have two major ones but won’t divulge
details here so as to safeguard the intellectual property involved. I have
already started work on the two projects and they will be revealed to you when
the time is right.
Early to Bed and Early to Rise
This was a
common saying in our home when I was growing up. It was one of my mother’s
favourites which my siblings and I were recalling recently during her funeral
when she passed on. Over the years I had changed from an early bird to a night
owl. I have reverted back to mum’s way and I am even writing this at 4 in the
morning!
Read Everyday
After
discovering E-books, I started reading about four of them at a go since I could
have dozens on my phone at any one time. I have now gone back to some of the
half-read books and realised that reading too many at a time is not wise. I
will therefore read only two at a go. I will be doing a fiction and non-fiction
from start to finish before moving to the next pair.
Write Everyday
Neglecting
my reading has also affected my writing to the extent that I am almost in a
constant state of writer’s block. That is going to change. I have set aside
time to write every day. It will not matter if it’s paragraph or a page; I will
jot down something as often as I wake up.
A Moment of Silence
In our
church on Sunday, we were asked to observe a minute of silence in honour of a
departed member. It was then that I realised how long a minute is when you are doing
nothing. I had read about meditation and one of the experts was explaining what
it entails. He said that meditation is the art of doing absolutely nothing. It
is the process of clearing the mind and not thinking about anything. It
deflated the common misconception that meditation is a form of deep
concentration. I have decided therefore to be observing a moment of silence
each day during which I can clear my mind of all unnecessary baggage.
Saying No
I have
always advised people on why it is important to say no more often and that one
does not have to agree with everything that is being said and done. I am taking
my own advice this year and adding no to my list of commonly used words. I say
no to time wastage, gossip, and worry.
Saying Yes
I have
purposed to be agreeing with good ideas from other people. Spending happy times
with friends and family is something I will be saying yes to in this year
moving forward. My self-righteous argumentative self is being pushed aside and
the open-minded agreeable me will be more dominant.
Counting Blessings
‘Count your blessings name them one
by one, count your blessings see what God has done, count your blessings, name
them one by one, and it will suprise you what the Lord has done’. Those are the words of a popular Sunday
school song that I am sure most of you know by heart. I have been thinking
about those words but it is only until now that they are making sense to me.
Looking all around me and into my life, all I see are things to be grateful
about. I will therefore be counting my blessings one by one and not in groups.
Smiling at
the Potholes
We once had
a Director who would always advice us to smile at the potholes of life. She
would say this at seemingly the most inappropriate times, when things were
looking very bleak. Now, years later, it makes sense to me. Whatever potholes
life will bring my way, I will smile at them.
