A New Year Push

Happy New Year! 🎊

It's a new year and I am quite sure some of us have written our new year resolutions forgetting the one we wrote last year, 2021, that we could not accomplish. For some people, they are still working on their new year plans while some others have decided that New year resolutions are nothing and so they will not plan.

A new year means different things to people. For me, a new year means starting a blog.. a new phase of taking my writing to an even larger audience, Jesus advised me to by the Holy Spirit. So, if anything, we have him to thank for this. 

I am Omokhuwa, Omokhuwa is an Edo name and it means Child is wealth. I am basically telling you that I am wealth seeing as I am a Child. I am a writer, a student, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a teacher, an influencer and Jesus's Bride amongst other things.

Once again, It is a new year and this new year will come with prophecies as with previous years, prophecies that if not built on, will remain only in a distant future, it will remain as a wish. It might even seem like God has failed you later on in the year, if you don't implement, plan or strategize. I should know as it has happened to me before. 

Therefore, in order to make this new year prosperous and effective, I would advise you to do the following as they will most certainly help you as they have and are helping me.

1 -

" Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]."     

                ~ Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 

Trust

Make plans with Jesus for the new year and be ready to hear from him, be ready to be directed by him.

  If you are not sure of his voice, if you are confused about what plans to make because you do not want to plan amiss, outside of His will (I have been here before), I would advise that you pray and plan anyway because He has said He will lead you, so ask Him to help you, plan and then write, when you are done, commit it into His hands. 

2- 

        An unexamined life is not worth living.

                     ~ Socrates 

Self inventory 

This should come before anything, take an inventory of how 2021 went, if there are things you should have done better and otherwise, it will help you make clear plans. Celebrate your wins and forgive yourself for your losses. 

Look at what you did wrong and what you could have done better, what structure you could have put in place. Do a complete and honest review. In every area of your life, if possible.

      

3- 

And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.

                         ~ Habakkuk 2:2- ‬3

Visioneering

Have something to run with, this translates into your new year resolutions. Categorise your resolutions into different areas of life, Finances, Health, Business, Family e.t.c then break it down further into long and short term goals with plans on how you would run with it them. This will also help you know what and who to spend your time on as time is precious.

    Have reminders around you, things to remind you of what you are running with.

People can be reminders too.

4- 

           Books

Read Books, Read Books! This cannot be overemphasised. Read Books of great men, biographies, books on finances, spiritual growth, self helps and whatever works for you.

       Books take you far ahead, it helps you learn what could take you years to learn. 

A capacity, and taste, for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.                       

                                  ~ Abraham Lincoln

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”                        

                                      ~  Dr. Seuss

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.                                                       

                                      ~Mortimer J. Adler

5- 

Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself." 

                          ~ Robin Sharma.

          Journal

Keep a Journal, Keeping a journal helps you track your progress, If you kept one in 2021, you would see that it would make no 2 above easier. I kept a journal in 2021 and looking at some of the things I wrote in the earlier part of the year, how I thought and how I think now, well, whew,  I can say I have grown. I am proud of that growth and grateful for it.

Journaling is a great way to pay attention to 'how it all came to be.' In looking back, you gain insight into (and appreciation for) your challenges, lessons, and perseverance.                                    

                           ~ Melissa Steginus.

6-

Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.

                          ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 And though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 

  Relationships;  

Commit to being intentional about your relationships, about those you spend your time with. 

I do not believe I will ever fully understand why some people call everyone their friend, those who you are known to associate with can close or open doors for you. 

I am very particular about the people I associate myself with and some people have testified to having observed this. I do this because of this simple truth: 

Those around me have the power to make or mar me.

In being deliberate about the people I associate with, I have learnt to do the following; observe people from afar; their speech, their character, the way they carry themselves...these little things; and having done this, I engage them in a conversation to know how they think. That first conversation will determine the trajectory of my relationship with that person.

Yes, when you have grown or you are open to growth, it is obvious. 

Like any other person, I have made mistakes and moved with people I would otherwise not want to be associated with. However, upon discovering this, I ask God to help me dissociate myself and before I am aware of it, the dissociation has occurred. The person could be moving with other people and I would be left alone or somehow, caught up in something else. Alone, not lonely. 

The people around me are treasures and they have sense, thankfully. Someone once told me he noticed I was friends with someone and he is sure I am friends with the person because this person has good sense and is someone of value. 

Be valuable and you will attract people of value.

That being said; do not make the mistake of forcing yourself onto anyone because you would like to be their friend. Do the following instead: 

1- Be a person of value.

2- If you are opportune to be involved in a discussion with the person, ask them questions. Intelligent questions and be open to receive, do not make the mistake of asking questions to prove you are better. Believe me, if this person is truly worthy of respect, they will notice and withdraw. This would be a huge loss to you as you are the one who wants the relationship. Kill that spirit of comparison. 

3- Be grateful. Show your gratitude from time to time which ever way you can. If it's words, be very generous with it. Be grateful. They would notice.

4- Honour them. 

7-  

Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.    

                            ~ Proverbs 15:22

        Mentorship

  Having people you look up to, people whose advice you are sure to follow will help you in life, It will help you get to where you are going faster. 

Myles Munroe would say that a mentor will teach you in 3 minutes what cost him 30 years to learn, like books they fast track your process but unlike books where the answers are limited to what has been written by the author, they can answer your questions and make things clearer to you. We read to gain knowledge but if all we needed were books, we would not need to go to school, sit in a class listening to teachers or watch videos to better understand certain things.

Have people who are below you that you can reach out to, one thing I discovered this past month is that they at times offer you fresh insight, they enable you think of things differently and like children, their innocence or trust in a thing can humble you. 

Mentorship is a two way thing with both giving and receiving whichever way they can.

Having said all this, one major takeaway for me last year was that it's okay to just lean in and enjoy the process. Take time to relax in God's unchanging love. Do not rush the process. It will be worth it in the end. 

Plan but in your planning, make room for the unexpected.

Thank you for reading through. Till later.

I pray God's best for you all through the year. I will write to you soon.

  ~ Omokhuwa. 

If you have any questions regarding anything here, do send an email to me at omouwapeace@gmail.com.