“Now I Arise” — Prepping for 2019
2019 is here.
What will we do? How will we go about it? I don’t know. That question is for you to answer. December affords us the time to look back and ponder. Pondering brings to mind the oversights we made in some areas and the strides we also made in other areas.
One of the ways to make the best out of the coming year (which is basically future time) is to look back. Reviews help you analyze your mistakes and if you were successful, it helps you see where you could have been better. The rearview mirror might not be as important as the windscreen, but it has its importance.
Remember that success is a lousy teacher because it seduces smart people to think that there was nothing more else to do. Successful people and organizations know that to remain in their stead and be relevant, they have to keep improving. The next disruption might just be around the corner. This is the reason Amazon spent about $23 billion in 2017(about the entire budget to run the Nigerian state in the same year)for research and development purposes. If in doubt of this, think of a company called Blackberry, then …you fill in the blanks.
Mistakes are the fertilizer that future successes are brewed with but there must be a healthy mix of both successes and mistakes. And for mistakes; ensure you make the ones that will not wipe you out. As you are aware, we seem to ponder more when bad things happen (death, sickness, failure etc). Again let me say it…success can be a lousy teacher. All in all, we need to ponder about the past in order to obtain insight that will give us the foresight.
Two stories always come to my mind when I think about the issue of thinking/pondering/decisions making. The first is the story of the biblical prodigal son in Luke 15. He asked for what was his and went away to use it as he deemed fit.
Unfortunately, he realized, albeit late and via experience, that no matter the amount of resources you have, if the resources are not being maintained or if they do not produce to cover your expenses and exceed; being broke is just a matter of time.
In the midst of the quagmire that he found himself, he did something that most people in his state hardly do. He began to think.
And when he came to himself, he said…Luke 15: 17
That is where deliverance came. He thought about what got him to where he was. He realized he made mistakes and he sought amends. All these decisions came from him “sitting with himself”. I am sure he asked himself “where do I go from here?” “How lower can I sink?” “What must I do to leave this state of mine?
Restoration comes from thoughtful reasoning.
Another incident was recorded in Proverbs 24. Oga Solo (aka King Solomon) took a walk around a vineyard near his residence. By observation, he noticed that the owner was lazy, ignorant and a lout. I am sure there were pointers to this. Maybe the person did not plant in due season. Maybe the person did not remove the weeds from the crops. Maybe there were no barns to store harvest. There were pointers I am sure.
By continuous observation, Solomon learnt a thing or two from this short walk on how not to be an unproductive person. Then he muttered this under his breath….
Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. -Proverbs 24:32
It is the process that Solomon went through a process that intrigued me.
· He saw (Observation)
· He considered it well (Thought through).
· He looked upon it (Re-consider).
· He received instruction (It dawned on him).
As per your goals/objectives in 2019 (spiritual, financial, marital, economic etc), I think you should go through this. Engage yourself (take a retreat just like companies do and think through things) and you will be amazed at the insights you will get. Afterward, proceed to execute.
Let me put this poetically and lyrically:
The knowledge from hindsight,
with proper oversight,
will give you the foresight,
to obtain impactful results with insights.
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