Times Of Swaziland: EFFECTIVE LIVING EFFECTIVE LIVING ================================================================================ By Charles Samunenge on 02/01/2018 08:19:00 Life is designed in such a way that there must be growth in our spiritual, mental, emotional, relational and professional life. Growth or moving forward usually requires developing and cultivating winning habits, new ways of thinking and processing experiences, new ways of acting or reacting to circumstances or people, and even new ways of speaking. If we keep on doing the same things, if we keep on saying the same negative words, and if you keep on thinking the same shallow negative thoughts, 2018 will just be an ordinary added year to our lives. Consistent commitment to what you believe is our life’s purpose is what matters in the journey of fulfilling purpose and destiny. If we refuse to commit to consistency for whatever reason, our lives will continue existing in the realm of complacency, mediocrity and going around circles. We must cultivate the habit of always doing something everyday that is connected to our purpose in life. Any habit or activity that does not really enhance our purpose or add value to our lives must be avoided in 2018; life is too short to waste on unproductive activities or conversations. Since success is birthed through our daily habits, it is therefore imperative to cultivate good habits and divorce the bad ones. As a matter of fact in the routine of our habits is the profit of where we are going in life. We can only become tomorrow what we are becoming today. It is important that we develop and cultivate good winning habits. Winning habits are those daily acts that we do which ultimately position us for success in life. Habits can be seen in how we spend our time, how we value our gifts and talents, how we manage our relationships, how we deal with our diet and even how we spend our money. The original meaning of the word habit is ‘garment’ or clothing, implying something we put on daily. We must carefully choose our habits because they shape our behavior, character and ultimately our future. Samuel Johnson said, “The chains of habits are too small to be felt, until they are too strong to be broken.” If we do not like the direction our life is taking, we should change our habits. We must always remember that, success does not usually come in a day, rather it comes daily through our daily habits. Life must be lived by design and not by default. To change a habit, one must be really hungry for change. Change is one of those things most of us resist, because it requires discipline, self control, responsibility and courage. For most of us, what is hindering us to move forward in life is the way we think. We must be willing to cultivate a new way of thinking. Negative thinking is a bad habit. Our ability to achieve something great and significant in life usually begins in the depths of our hearts and mind. Whatever preoccupies our minds becomes the driving force of what we are becoming in life. Our thought life gives definition to how we view life and make decisions. Sometimes what we see or view as reality is not objective reality at all , it might be actually just a projection of how we have learnt to view life. As we think, we are what we think, and becoming what we think. It is imperative for us to change the way we think if we are going to grow and move forward relationally, mentally, emotionally, socially, politically, economically and professionally in 2018. Two of the great enemies of change, especially change in our thinking habits 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. In order for us to be effective in 2018, we must be good thinkers. All successful people are good thinkers and have cultivated the habit of positive thinking. Successful people actually think differently from unsuccessful people. As a matter of fact all things begin in the thought realm. What we think frames and gives structure to what we are becoming in life. Our thoughts are the fundamental creative force in our lives. Therefore we must develop the habit of thinking quality thoughts. We must divorce thoughts of fear, jealousy, envy, anger, malice, hopelessness, failure, defeat and division. We create our entire world by the way we think. When we change the way we think, we actually change our lives and our future. Shallow thinking brings limitations to what one could achieve in life. Becoming better thinkers demands that we cultivate the right mindset. A mindset is a habitual mental attitude that determines how one will interpret and respond to situations of life. In 2018 we must feed our minds with positive messages, and we must stay at it till we see a change in our thinking patterns. Discipline and perseverance will finally produce the desired results. Wishing all the followers and readers of social living a happy and explosive 2018.