New Year is one of the annual feasts that brings the whole races together, it cuts across all religious beliefs and even goes beyond beliefs. Nowadays agnostics and atheists join in the celebration, even some religious sects that have already marked their new year now celebrate either consciously or unconsciously. The reason behind the gleeful moment is not farfetched; surviving 365 days is not easy. Some attribute several occurrences to supernatural beings according to their beliefs, while free thinkers see them as natural occurrences.

But then, the veracity stills remains that no matter what may, new year is worth celebrating if not for your achievements for the life you have, on this note I wish to dish out this solomonic nuggets from the stable of Unique Minds Academy.

Inasmuch as we scheme out our new year resolutions, we should be resolute to admit adversities. Countless people delve into new year without solid plans aside white elephant resolutions that fade out at most a month. It is not really in our best interest to hurry into making new year resolutions. Resolutions are what we should imbibe slowly into our being, we are rational beings, we are responsible for our actions and inactions especially in our relationship with our fellow humans, be it education, business, marriages and so on. Resolutions hurriedly made are not sustainable.

Resolutions should be gradual, it is more like learning and unlearning as we learn to crawl before we walk, we should not make our resolutions the reflections of other people’s resolutions. Some have made resolutions that involve riding the current most expensive cars without solid financial backups, is that not silly? You want to be a millionaire in your resolution without having a job? The basic should be held in high esteem; it is called getting our priorities right. According to Socrates, “an unexamined life is not worth living”. An unexamined life is a life that places merriment and jamboree above labour.

More importantly, let us not spend above our means to meet up with our contemporaries, some of our contemporaries have wealthy backgrounds, some are paid handsomely, some trade their bodies to make money, some are living with incurable ailments as a result of what they have gotten themselves into because of money, most are fraudsters, how do you explain to the next generation that Emeka who had no skills, not gainfully employed was able to buy Lamborghini? Some ladies want to rock the most expensive hairs, smart phone and dresses, some have undergone surgeries to acquire massive buttocks and breasts, many have lost their lives in such processes, while this may sound pathetic it is still the top priority of most ladies this coming year.

Most ladies live with the slogan “virginity is not dignity but lack of opportunity”. These are senseless manifestations of self-aggrandisement; they believe in getting what they want with what they have. This is why we have shameless baby mamas all over the world.

The men cannot be vindicated on any grounds at all. You’re a man and your family is wallowing in abject poverty and you’re sleeping around with ladies, depositing your destiny. Even when your family is well to do, don’t you see paupers around you? Or don’t you go to motherless babies homes or even most of our markets they are replete with the downtrodden, that N50,000 you give to sluts do you know what it can do in the lives of 10 petty traders, barrow pushers, and other labourers? Do we even reason? It is your money that I am aware of, and you can honestly spend it the way you like, no argument about that.

But I vehemently assert that if anyone who labours to make money, or understands what it takes to make money can spend it on harlots then he or she is possessed, how much does it cause to get married? Do you know how many kids that are out of school? Do you know the number of unemployed graduates?

Moreover, this new year, I want us to live with the slogan, “if you can’t beat them run for your dear life”. It is the best and smartest approach to life because once you join them, you’re headed to damnation. That your mates married early does not guarantee you getting married, when you are oblivious of your financial and emotional status. It is a good thing to marry early but remember that some got married at the age of thirty or younger but could not procreate until the age of forty or more.

And you as a Minister of God, you should know that you’re not called to sell Christ. Your primary purpose is to win souls and not to sell the gospel. You have furnished your grammar and developed confusing principles just to get into the pockets of your congregation. I want to let you know that if you don’t turn a good leaf year 2020 shall not be favourable for you. We really know what resolutions should be like now, not thinking of massive self-aggrandisement.

Conclusively, we might not have gotten it right in the past year, we might have failed in our various endeavours. I want to remind you that it is not the end of the road; there is always light at the end of the tunnel, most at times we fail because we did not realise how close we were to success when we gave up. But with determination this new year shall be in our favour. If you have accumulated wealth through unjust means in the past years, now is the best time to make amendments; aside religion, morality frowns at robbing peter to pay Paul, set your business mechanisms on a just foundation through this, posterity will remember your brand. Please let us not bear grudges this year.

Above all, this year let us embrace peace, love our neighbours like our self, pray without season because prayer is the masterpiece, nothing can be achieved without it. Believe more in God, believe in yourself and you will surely make it.

Happy new year!!!

•Isaac A. Olukoya is Founder, Unique Minds Academy.

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