Out of the 365 days to our credit since January 1st, this new year. We have already spent nine days. Can you believe that? That is how fast time runs. And what have you achieved so far? We are now down to fifty -one weeks! Every day brings us closer and closer to the end of the new year.
It is now time to get to work. How? To start executing the plan you have always had since December 2019. There was so much clamour to grab this new year and everyone looked forward to it with the usual expectation. On December 31st most churches were filled to the boiling point, those who had never attended church service throughout 2019 found their way to the church on that night. If death would come, let them be killed inside the church!
By the way I attended Holy Mass in my parish with my family on December 31st. The crowd that I saw was unbelievable. Few yards in my front were seat middle aged man with supposedly his fiancé, wife or lover, going by the way they frequently clutch themselves. From time to time the young lady would fumble out her mobile phone and take selfie with her man while the priest was busy doing his thing at the altar. Then came the preaching and the 60 seconds countdown to the new year at that point, nobody seems to be interested in what the priest was saying, people were busy making calls, and sending messages at the strike of 00.00hours. it is New Year and then the dance… the commotion… the joys and the wishes.
All have crossed over. Many crossed over with burden of malice, hatred, joys, animosity and probably will continue that way longer in the new year. Now back to the story of the man and his wife; immediately the commotion of new year was over, the young man and woman I mentioned earlier were nowhere to be found. Their two seats were vacant till the end of the ceremony.
I know that by now if you are a parent, you must have been waylaid by the burden of school fees, house rent renewal and other overheads families face.
Have you spent your last card to celebrate the Christmas so that you can impress your friends or neighbours? You see this is the new year we have clamoured for vehemently few weeks ago and nothing has really changed much in real terms. You still wake up from the same bed, commute on the same way, watch the same lies on the television and see the same set up people at the office, workshop or market.
The only thing that will bring real change for you in 2020 lies inside you. How? The way you think and do things. The first plan I will suggest is to look at the ways you look at things or think. What is your general mindset towards things? money, relationships, business, work, people, and yourself. If we want to alter the circumstances of 2020, we need to make a shift from the way we think towards these issues listed above.
Are you too negatively judgmental in 2019? Change it to positive through a conscious daily habit. Did you cheat many people or client last year? Resolve that for this new year you want to be transparent and sincere with customers, friends, spouse etc. Are you in the habit of scolding or beating your wife? Stop it and walk away when tension rise. Do you lie when you want to borrow money? Begin this year by telling the truth the way things are.
Are you very lousy and find it difficult to pray? Make a conscious effort and draw a schedule of prayer with given time. You will be surprised the way things change, first around you and then between you and others.
The moment we begin to alter these mindset and work on our new plan, miraculously we are automatically creating a new set of circumstances and opportunities that will shape our life in 2020 and beyond. Try it. But as long as you retain the old ways of doing things with the mindset of 2019, nothing will change around you. You will continue to complain about your spouse, your children, your work and life itself. So the change will come when I ask myself; What am I doing differently this year?
Working of some of these mindsets may be difficult at first but don’t forget that habit is overcome by habit. Don’t fall into the ‘mugu’ of having a booklet of resolutions that you know are unachievable even by the end of January and know that December 2020 is just a number and it is around the corner.
