Year 2016 is now behind us. It was a year that most people had, as usual, hoped to embrace greatness, to make it big, to register their names in the lists of affluence, to get married, to launch their dream enterprises, to switch careers, to quit this addiction or the other and many other wishes that sound and feel great. While some people attained their aspirations in that year, a good number of them did not. For those who achieved on their objectives, congratulations; for those who did not, allow me to spend a moment with you. A moment to rekindle your hope.
But not before I take you down memory lane. I recall how you had similar aspirations in the year 2015; you had told your friends and indeed anyone who cared to listen how that year was going to be your year of mention. I recall vividly how your talk suddenly changed from the month of October, 2015. You gave up on the year and suddenly began talking about how the following year (2016) would be your year. You blamed everything on the economy and even went ahead to carry out your own research to find out the number of people who were doing as badly as you did. Fortunately to you, your research findings tended to support what you had all along speculated – that things were tough for everyone.
Year 2015 ended before you could blink and behold, your other dream year 2016 began to unfold. The month of January was tough just as had been the case in the previous years. You were dead broke! You promised yourself that that was going to be the last January you would be as broke. Hopes for change in your life were alive and sky high once again since you had another lease of twelve months ahead of you that were likely to carry the golden key. You even planned to join the local gym to keep updated, matters health. Days turned into weeks which turned into months and before long you woke up to find yourself in the second half of the year. ‘Time really flies!’ you thought to yourself. Indeed it does and especially if you have not achieved a single thing in your list of resolutions and goals.
Before you realized, your history was already repeating itself. You were registering your name once again in the list of people who kept recurrent goals; you were becoming the statistic that you have always been even though your dream was to escape that categorization. At some point you were tempted to suspect the hand of witchcraft in your situation. You became more close to God hoping He would pull one miracle from His Miracle Bag and throw your way before the year would end. It did not happen. Before long year 2016 was gone!
God is faithful; He has not forsaken you. At least He has given you another lease of life; another twelve months to make things better. This January might be hotter than usual but I want to encourage you by reminding you that all is not lost. All along, you have been wishing, dreaming, hoping, planning and aspiring yet your wishes, dreams, hopes, plans and aspirations never materialized. Do not wonder why; all of them do not have the power to realize themselves. Your dreams were valid, they still are but they cannot actualize on their own. That is where the problem has always been. It will be unfair for me to encourage you without suggesting a way out. All along, you have missed one crucial ingredient in the recipe of accomplishment – ACTION; deliberate action. People stagnate in life not because they lack potential but because of their inaction
Do not allow bad history to repeat itself this year; do not relinquish your position as the driver of your life; do not let life run on auto pilot. Years in themselves do not make a difference, you do. Last I checked, a mad person was one who does the same things in the same way and expects different results. You are not mad! Step out and be counted among the few who took deliberate action to steer their lives in the right direction. You need to inject effort in all your plans and be committed to them. Develop desire to achieve them and do not rest until you do it. Embrace discipline as a virtue, it will keep you focused. Surround yourself with people who ooze positivity and possibility; rid yourself of negative energy. Do not be quick to blame; your dreams can only be actualized by their architect – you. Kudos, you have dreamt big but do not stop there; wake up and do it! If it is to be, it is up to you! With deliberate action YOU CAN DO BETTER!
Roy Okonji,
Motivational Speaker and Author
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