ESSENTIALS OF MOVING FORWARD

LIFE must be lived effectively. Effective living is a combination of understanding purpose, vision and developing clear thinking. In order to move forward in life there must be an articulation of a clear vision, planning, strategic thinking and cultivating positive relationships. Our ability to achieve something great and significant in life usually begins in the depths of our hearts and minds.

Whatever occupies your mind usually becomes the driving force of what you are becoming in life. Your thought life gives definition to how you view life and make decisions. We are the sum total of our thoughts. As a matter of fact our life tomorrow will be determined by what preoccupies our thinking today. As we think, we are what we think, and becoming what we think. Proverbs 23:27declares, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

What occupies our thought life or process will somehow, somewhere, at a particular time affect our speaking and behaviour. The first step to change or moving forward in life is to learn how to change our thought lives. It requires a lot of discipline, but it is possible.

We must first begin to analyze our thought patterns by revisiting different stages of our life history - our birth circumstances, our family environment , our friendships , the communities we grew up in , the books we have been reading etc. Usually our thoughts or the way we think is a product of what our growth environment put in us.

From our growth environment we can experience rejection and actually possibly absorb all the negative elements of our  growth environment: fear , tension , uncertainty , anxiety , guilt , shame , confusion , hatred , anger and pain. Where and the way we grew up has the potential of affecting the way we view life.

Sometimes what we see or view as reality, is not objective reality at all; it might be only a projection of the way we have learnt to view life. It is imperative for us to change the way we think if we are going to move forward financially, emotionally, relationally, politically, economically or professionally.

Some of the pain and crisis we experience in life are designed to align our minds to our purpose in life. Sometimes, for some of us it will take crisis or a painful experience to make us change our minds and certain negative attitudes.
As much as pain is not pleasurable, it can produce something of value within us as we learn to respond in a right way.  We must not wait for a crisis before we can change our minds concerning some of the unproductive beliefs we have embraced over a period of time.

Homes are being shattered, communities are struggling, nations are experiencing retrogression because of people who refuse to change or adjust their belief systems , methodologies or strategies. Moving forward demands change , and change may require certain loses so as to affect the future positively.

One of the greatest enemies of change, especially change in the way we think is ignorance and pride. Lack of knowledge can keep the mind in the same state for years. Pride can hinder the mind from receiving new information. A lack of mind changing knowledge can easily undermine or shatter one’s opportunity to fulfilling purpose and destiny. In order to have our thought patterns transformed we must always seek knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. “If we are to harness 2017 and beyond, we need to change our thinking habits. What do you think about or do in your spare time? Divorce all thoughts of fear, jealousy, envy, anger, malice, hopelessness, failure and division.

Another key in moving forward is found in walking in relational wisdom. Wisdom builds and establishes meaningful relationships. Wisdom is the principal thing that facilitates the construction of whatever is being built; whether it be our marriages, families, finances, communities or nation. Life is about relationships.

 In fact effective living is about working together to bring out the best in our marriages, families, communities and nation. Society is much better if we learn how to live, work and think together. We must love, respect, trust, appreciate and value people. The basis of real life is people and how we connect and relate to them. Relational wisdom demands that we treat others the way we want them to treat us.
All of us would want people to encourage us , appreciate us , not take advantage of us, not speak bad things about us, fairly criticize us, forgive us when we mess up, pick us up when we fall, listen to us when we have issues, and to take time in understanding us.

Good character is key to walking in relational wisdom. One of the great challenges we have today in society apart from lack of visionary leaders and generational thinkers is the lack of morality and ethics. Good character is a great recipe for productive relationships and progressive nations.

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