We opened our eyes on New Year's Day then we blinked again and fast forward here we are, 6 weeks on and some of us, maybe many of us, haven't quite made the start we intended!
Aside from circumstances beyond human control, for some, we had big but non-defined plans that we made a while back for 2023 and because we failed to plan we failed to launch. Others may find themselves in this new year facing a different set of circumstances, ones they hadn't planned for, or worse, ones that they hadn't planned to avert.
I always say that we don’t achieve our goals by osmosis. Yes, part of our creation experience consists of the merging and evolving of cells, however our creation and purpose are so much more than that. We have been created by design, on purpose and intentionally.
Our Creator took time to form our being, from the way we function, think and feel to having our steps ordered.
With this in mind, we owe it to ourselves to nurture our life garden in such a way, that we are careful as to what we plant, how we plant and where we plant it. We are to be thoughtful about who we invite into our creative space and who helps us to till our life land as well as who gets to share in the reaping of our labour.
We are not an accident, we don't live by fate, we are fearfully and wonderfully made beings, bursting with creative potential and destiny, and not a moment of our existence to be wasted.
The late Dr Myles Munroe, one of the greatest minds to grace this planet once said this,
"The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”
So here are some existential and purposeful questions for your consideration, let's go!
"Who was I born to be?"
"Who am I here to bless?"
"What am I values?"
"What is my passion?"
"If money was no object what would I be doing right now?"
"If fear was not a factor, what decision would I make?"
"If I stay in this situation, how much worse will things be a year from now?"
"What do I need to change in me, to change my situation?"
And as Charles Bukowski, a famous poet once said "Who were you supposed to be before the world told you who should be?"
Just take a well spent hour out of your day (yes an hour that is just 1 out of 24 hours, 60 minutes out of 1,440 minutes in a day), to consider these simple but profound questions.
Contemplate where you are right now, how many times you have asked yourself some or all of these questions then done nothing further for whatever reason or excuse but this time, be intentional about your answers and the actions that will follow.
Determine that nothing will change until you change and that when you make the decision to change that everything will begin to change for you.
Make yourself a promise that you will be so committed to the fulfilment of your goals because your outcomes also affects those who are in your world.
Surround yourself with trusted friends and advisors who will champion you, encourage you not just in the big successes but also in the small steps as you begin the start of your new life chapter.
As you begin, mark today as the first day of the rest of your life and a year from now, celebrate how far you have come.
I am rooting for you, I know you can do it!
Contact flourish@olive-branch.org.uk to find out more about our complimentary 1-hour coaching session