Time

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In my growing up years, I discovered I cut my public speaking teeth, helping as compere in people’s birthdays. This ofcourse meant that I had to keep a list of stories, riddles and jokes to entertain the audience with. It also meant that I had to sit through a number of birthday messages and good will talks. As you can possibly guess, I currently cannot be tongue tied speaking at any birthday, but more importantly I picked up a phrase that has stayed with me from one of those birthdays. The statement is simple – “One year more, is one year less!”

What that statement means is that while we rejoice about advancing in age, we should be careful to think back and know that you have one year less, to achieve all you were born to achieve. The psalmist put it in a great way, when he said “Teach us O lord, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom”. Wisdom is knowing that every advancement in time, is a deduction from the upper sands in the hourglass of life. It is hence essential that as we celebrate our achievements, we plan our progress..

As I write today, we have fastly secured one quarter behind us in 2009. One quarter celebrated, is one quarter less. This is a good time to pause a bit, think about the goodness of God in the last 3 months, and plan ahead for the days ahead. They called it a year of downturns and crisis, but what I have experienced is lifting ups and new opportunities. The months and quarter ahead hold loads of promise, here are a few things to do to make the most of the remaining 3 Quarters in the year.

1. Be patient

Patience is not holding off on decisions you ought to make promptly. Patience is not being sluggish. Patience is the character displayed in the presence of pressures of what we have no choice about. The market turn of the last year, pushed many people into the reds, some stocks are presently illiquid and unsellable. Patience is the ability to wait through the storms, to hang on in faith and belief that after the night comes day, and that after the rain sunshine.

2. Realign your Dreams and Goals

Our dreams grow with us, as we progress in life, we become more realistic. There is an element of realism that is not wholesome, but there is an element that is vital. Our dreams must become more clearly defined as we approach it, the bones of I want to be great must add the flesh of details. We need to sit down on our goals and recrystalize them. Yank out your diary that is gathering dust, or if you use an electronic one like I do, go back to Dec 31 and Jan 1. Find a way to keep your goals consistently before your eyes. If your eyes can see it, your hands can reach it. If you throw your mind over, your body will follow! Review them then realign them.

3. Seize Opportunities

The opportunities that are yours are not the ones you talk about, they are the one’s you take advantage of. We win some, and we lose some. Don’t let the ones you have lost dissuade you from attempting new opportunities. The guy that failed is the guy that stopped. Don’t stop, keep walking!

4. Commit

Somehow it’s second nature for human beings to dodge commitments. Guys are forever trying to avoid anything more serious than lady friends, “come and see my mum”, is too much commitment for he yet unserious guy :). We dodge to make decisions, we procrastinate, we delay. Someone once said, to move in the right direction all you need to do is go against the direction of the majority. Commitment is difficult for the majority, but to succeed, you must make choices and commit to them. You can achieve anything in this life that you want to achieve, if you will only commit to doing what you need to do. Excellence is not an event, it’s a habit! Learn to commit!

5. Connect and Consult

It’s not who your friend is, or who your mentor is that counts, it’s what you are able to derive from the relationships for that counts. Connect with your great relationships and consult them to assist you. People suffer atimes, not because of a lack of friends or ideas, but out of a lack of taking the initiative to give help a call. It’s not who you know that counts, it’s who you know, who knows you, and for what?

6. Give thanks

Even though you have not achieved all you set out to achieve, even though you didn’t hit the big deals you desired. One things is clear though, you are alive! You are not only alive, you are well, well enough to read here, well enough to show up for work, well enough to steal have dreams and desires! Give thanks to God, the one who spared your life without your qualifying for it. Better people than you have died, but you are alive. You are alive, because there is something you still have that is relevant to your world. There is value you can still add, and there are goals to yet achieve. Be grateful!