2017 Nugget from RANDOM AFRICAN THOUGHTS.

Many of us have made and drawn up plans for the year. We choose to call them new year's resolutions. These resolutions are drawn up after reflections from the previous year (our successes, failures, shortcomings, trials, relationships etc). I bet some of the resolutions for this year were included in last year's resolutions. I bet we struggled with them (the repeated resolutions) and would want to give them another shot this year too. Famous among them would be marriage, financial freedom, jobs, breakthroughs, breaking from certain habits and what have you. A resolution is a firm will to do or not to do something. This being said, it implies that, Time (2017), is not the only factor that should inform a resolution but we have to consider the will (firm decision) as well. Year in, year out, we make plans and year in, year out, we miss out on some of our targets (if not all of them). The hard thing about resolutions is that, it comes with a certain adrenalin rush but as time and reality catches up with us, that adrenalin either dies out, diminishes or turns us into champions. It is all a matter of perception and will power! This serves my point well that, resolutions are just resolutions till we put our efforts into seeing them through! You need to be resolute to survive in any new year and that is what really matters. Don't count the years, build on your will!

Granted all things go our way, would our resolutions see the light of day? Give it some thought before you answer because it is trickier than you think. Sometimes we would come up with excuses even if the conditions are in our favour. Now consider how your year ended in 2016, would you like to have the same ending when 2017 is coming to an end? If yes, than that is all well and good. But if your answer is no, then you have a lot of work ahead of you. We must endeavor to break our limits and work to improve on our skills, talents, aspirations and goals. Let's stop being afraid of what would possibly go wrong and go for the best shot we can get! From the years I have spent trying to wrap my head around the purpose for my life, I have come face to face with quite interesting things, people, ideas and outcomes. Here is what I think about certain aspects of life:

■ You might be a very dependent person but when it comes to certain decisions in your life that have to do with your career and personal development, do not depend so much on others to make decisions on your behalf. That aspect of your life should be controlled by you.

■On dependence, don't depend on any one person to help you achieve a goal or dream. If you don't take the first step, no one would be courageous enough to follow You. Learn to blaze your own trail and others would follow. A dream is yours to actualize.

■Learn to differentiate between the people who are there for you and the people who are there because of you. Everybody loves to share in our successes but only a few people would like to relate with you in your failures and shortcomings. Know the difference between the people who are there for a reason and the people who are there regardless  of the season. Let's remain resolute! My name is Edwin Oko Lamptey and this is what I honestly think. This is a RANDOM AFRICAN THOUGHT!