Moving Forward

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.