New or Not?

What does a New Year means to you?

Does it spark a new fire in you? Does it give you something to look forward to? Or offer you a new opportunity to get things right? Or just another day on the calendar? Just another 365 days that is in no way different from the last 365 days?

Well, for me, I have hardly been thrilled by ceremonies like most of my contemporaries are. And as I grew older, the excitement reduced. Birthdays, New Months, New Years were just like any other day. I plan for them the way I would any day. I was chatting with a friend the other day and we were rubbing minds about what our plans are, the things we intend to do and stuff,then he was saying something I can't articulately put together in clear terms now,but I remembered telling him that 2019 is just 2019. Nothing changes. January is just another month, and like I have plans for every month, every week, every day, I do for January and 2019 as a whole.

But there is a twist to this, as much as I would love to just go about not bothering about the change in dates, I have come to realize (as a Christian) that though God is not confined in/by time, He still recognises time. He acknowledges days, time, and change in dates. It had been over and again proven in the Bible how God tied particular events to particular time and dates, and I have also seen it in my life over and again. So I have come to learn to give the deserved regard to 'time' and on that note: Happy New Year. Do have a fabulous one.

And if you are the type that believes in New Year Resolutions, do well to stand by them even when it's daunting. If you are not, just feel free to have the best of time and do right by yourself.

Here are a few reminders I would regardless (whether you believe in New Years or not) want you to keep in mind:

— BE INTENTIONAL.

That you are reading this, at least till this point, then I can say you are. But you need to do more. Life is more than just gliding through it. It is more fun for those who are awake and aware. Plan intentionally,follow through your plans intentionally — you plan to shed some pounds,then you have to eat with that intention in mind, you want to be better at programming, you can't achieve that by sitting around,and telling yourself coding is difficult,you have to buy books, download ebooks, videos, attend lectures if need be...that is you being intentional!

Be awake. Be aware. Be Intentional...in all your actions!

— YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THE JONESES.

You are – (fill in your name), you are not one of the Joneses. Don’t compare yourself. Keep your head straight, give yourself time to grow. See there is a thin line between envy and motivation. I have people I look up to for motivation, people I see what they have achieved and I get gingered to do something with my life, but I try to draw the line so that it would not lead to envy. See, you are not one of these people and until you are set to live like they do and do the things they do then stop comparing!

Do you really wanna compromise because someone requested you to, actually not even directly but indirectly? Because you are tempted to run past your lane to catch up with someone in a whole different ball game entirely. As Robert Anthony said, “The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity”. You are not them, there is pure beauty in being different, stay in your lane, keep your head up, your shoulders high, do your part and let the universe take care of the rest. You are not one of the Joneses!

— A LITTLE HERE, A LITTLE THERE

According to Richard Templar, Life is like advertising, you don’t know which quota will pay whether this or that, therefore don’t relent in giving some more when you think you have given enough. A wise man said “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

I was having a chat with a friend a while ago (yes I am always chit chatting with friends 😊) and she was telling me of a past scenario where she went to her supposed sister in law’s place (supposed because she is no longer with the guy), and the "sister in law" decided to give her a treat since that was the first time she is paying a visit to her, so she (my friend) decided to help her in the kitchen with the meal, but the host turned down her offer. I jokingly asked if she kept going back to check on her, she gave a laugh and said she didn't, I told her that was unfair, she laughed again and said thank God she didn’t, if not she would be regretting she did because now as it appears she is no longer going to marry the (then) boyfriend, so all those efforts would have been a waste. Just a front that wasn't necessary.

Now, here is the lesson behind the story, I told her even if she didn't marry the guy, that shouldn’t have stopped her from being at her best behavior with his people. What if this same woman happens to be involved in scrutinizing her for something bigger and better later on, she would just remembered how very nonchalant she (my friend) was the other day. Though the “relationship” didn’t work out but that established relationship (with the guy’s sister) might lead to something else, so never grow weary of being and doing good because a little here, a little there, you can’t tell which would prosper.

— YOU WILL FAIL.

Oh yeah, you read that right! You are not thinking that every plan will work out just fine? Or you won’t have to redefine some things due to failure – or rather put, due to below standard performance?

Dearest, plans will fail, and when your plans fail, it is technically you that failed, but cheer up, failing is much better than not trying. Also, failure in a phase doesn’t connote failure of the whole project. I have failed in a number of things, and yes I am human and I have beaten myself up really bad at some instances but this one thing I do; I try not to live in regret so I try to see where I have gone wrong, if can be rectified then I will do so, if not, then I will pick up myself from where I am and forge ahead (not always easy I must admit).

— ENJOY.

Whatever comes your way, enjoy. OK, that sounded so easy but not as easy, well not for me. I am so serious minded about everything that I find it difficult to see the funny aspects of things but I have made a commitment this year to do so. After all this is a rule to help us RULE in 2020.

Winks.