2011: My year of building excellent relationships

There are certain types of rituals in life which are inescapable. Like the good good book puts it, there is season for everything under heaven. They maybe seasonal in nature but they will always pop up in a ritualistic manner. They include anniversaries, birthdays, festivals and new year resolutions.
Thus the year 2011 is here with us. Everyone is hoping for something good to happen to them in the course of the year 2011 or 365 days ahead. Such hopes are often pinned on individual circumstances but whatever form or nature of expectations we harbour, it is that of a better future than that just gone by.
Well, as a member of humanity, I have also been thinking and cracking my brain to sum up a resolution for the year 2011. I thought of many things but rejected them one after the other. My reasons were simple: scientifically, my resolution for 2011 should seek to identify issues from 2010 and inch up on building up for prosperous 2011.
Thus after much contemplation, I settled on theme: '2011 My Year Of Building Excellent Relationships'.
All forms of friendships including marriage is like a peanut: you have to crack them to see what is inside and the one who asks questions doesn't lose his way. When the hen steps on the feet of her chicken, she does not mean to kill them. When you go to a town and you see the chief of the town is in handcuffs, you do not ask whether everything is alright in that town.
Although a number of things did not go the way I had planned and expected them in some of my personal relationships with others in 2010, I do not think and believe, it is enough reason to shut the door on relationships. I rather hope that having lost the battle, I must equip myself with the lessons so learnt in order not to repeat some of the mistakes made. So what are the things that I can do in 2011 to build excellent relationships?
At least I recall seven [7] practical lessons I learned in 2010:
1. Time is respecter of no persons and always has a price tag to pay for not adhering to its instructions. Time waits for no one; it moves on whether I use it or waste it but once lost, can never be recovered. Time is just like God Himself, His principles work for all everywhere.
2.Appearance can often be deceptive so don't judge people on the face value of appearance such as their status, profession, or even level of education attained. The strict proof should be their words against their actions.
3. Do not put your hope in anyone, you will be disappointed. It is not for nothing that the verse at the centre of the Holy Bible, Psalm 118:8 warns us against this attitude. "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." Is this central verse not also the central theme of the entire Bible? This is not a coincidence. God is in complete control of our lives.
4. Failure should rather be seen as a signal to double up efforts instead of giving up. Our lives are not in a random order, it has been perfectly ordered and each event is part of the process intended to make us perfect, we only need to look harder to identify the wrong options we exercised out of ignorance or inexperience and move forward better equipped. I can’t do everything in one day; what I start today, I can continue tomorrow.
5. In everything use best effort, best faith and complete belief to see the hand of God at work in your life. Choices really do have consequences. Paying attention to detail results in excellent performance.
6. Learn from insults. If someone insults you, do not get angry for reason of being abased, abused or humiliated but rather examine your actions and habits to find if what the person claimed indeed has basis or not. If there is an iota of truth in it, take corrective steps to become a better person. If it turned out to be just complete fabrication borne out of malice intended to provoke you, show yourself as mature by ignoring the insults after all if you argue with a fool, a passer by will not know the difference.
7. Accept Criticisms. As a leader at whatever level of hierarchy; be it family, school, workplace, community, religious or social group, expect to be criticised either constructively or negatively. It is said that he who does nothing commits no mistakes. I was once advised by my godfather 'Uncle Tony' to always add at the end of every logic I put forward that "I might be wrong". Accept criticisms in good faith and proceed forthwith to build on for the better.
I know, believe and expect to build excellent relationships in the year 2011. I do not know what your resolution(s) for the year 2011 is/are but I hope you had assessed your output over the previous years and considered your expectations and how to get them.
May God almighty help us all in 2011 to realise our resolutions beyond our expectations and never forget his goodness when we get to the promised land. Life’s enduring lessons are learnt in silence and inner reflection and be reminded that what is known is not all that there is to know.
Stay blessed dear reader!!!