“If the lizard squeezes mashed yam for you, don’t complain it is not enough; because that is all its hand can press.” – Akan proverb
As the year nears its end, almost all of us are enthusiastic about beginning an eventful journey into next year. And as we prepare for the ‘crossing over’ and ‘jumping-into’, quite the majority among us are thinking of what changes and resolutions are needed for the coming year. The reality of our realities is that for humanity to flourish in accordance with the resources around us, we all need to make some adjustments and changes to our present lifestyles. We need to liberate ourselves from our self-made, self-assured, self-important egos we have clocked ourselves with for most of our lives.
Many among us are intelligent, and we have harnessed our intellectual prowess through the acquisition of educational certificates, diplomas and degrees. Many also are ethically upright, and we have lived disciplined lives in the hope that our little good ignites a greater good in society. And many more others have yoked their abilities to enrich themselves and society. All in all, we have done quite well.
Sadly, our intellectual pride and ethical superiority have adorned us with a certitude that smacks of unusualness, being extra-special and a feeling of preeminence. We have become self-proclaimed ‘honourables’; and we live on the precept that our ‘might’ makes our thoughts, words and actions right.
In each and in every one of us lives this haughty and arrogant ego, whether we are aware of it or not. And for the most part of our lives, we have allowed this conceit to direct our paths and activities. It is thus not strange that many among us complain that the reality we have does not fit the ideals we were nurtured in. Unfortunately, the surprising majority among us do not want to do anything about this lapse.
We have not just given up hope, but have also become very cynical. It is not that we do not know how to solve our problems. Interestingly, we have more solutions than we would readily acknowledge. And if we could be honest with ourselves, we all know individuals and groups whose combined wealth, intellectual and ethicality can create the ideal world we all dream of. We know them, but we are just not ready to give them the mandate for that to happen.
Our hearts are not ready to go where our heads are. Instead, we are surrounded by many circumstances which draw forth our tears. We find ourselves trapped by a twisted logic that manipulates others using our abilities and ‘might’. Thus, our desires are scarcely met, and our aspirations always seem to lag. As we embrace the festive season and prepare ourselves for the New Year, our goal should focus on uncloaking ourselves of our puffed-up egos. As the year grinds to an end, we should let go of all the old and haughty attitudes.
In their place, let us strive to behold the New Year. It will renew everything we know if only we let it renew us first. It will shower us with new experiences if only we see all things from a fresh and renewed perspective. It is a time for us to evaluate our individuality and see what drives our wonderfulness and aspirations… is it fear or love? The mission of your resolutions for next year should aim at becoming a humble, fearless, boundless and open person who can reach out to embrace the whole universe.
All over the world, almost all of us have similar aspirations; an enlightened world that celebrates knowledge and innovations, adores beauty, respects truth and grants opportunities for others so we can all share our goodness with each other. The hope of our hopes is that we want a corruption-free society wherein each person appreciates the “fearfulness” with which they were created and showcase the “wonderfulness” that dwells within them. That is our reckoning and it is our dream. But for the dream to become a reality, we must learn and let go of the hypocrisy from the prevailing twisted logic we have cultured.
Many of us are still thinking of what resolutions to adopt and adapt for the coming year. There are no easy ones or hard ones. What we need to stop doing in the formulation of our resolutions is approaching it from an intellectual point of view. For far too long we have been an intelligent people, but heartless. Many of us balk when it comes to the heart. Sadly, we defend our hesitation with the notion of heartbreaks. For a start, that is twisted logic. It is the sign of an intellectual mind so scared of losing it twists its feelings and tells us our hearts are broken. The heart is full of love. It is all forgiving, and it never keeps any records. Rather, it is always wiping away the tears of the intellectual mind.
When our intellectual mind is correctly aligned with our heart, which is the foundation of the soul, the result will only bring about greater good for the world. So, the core of our resolutions for next year should be centred on uniting our heads and hearts to liberate ourselves. Let us behold the coming year with great expectations to do right. Let us resolve to become a heartfelt and heart-full people…
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Kodwo Brumpon is a partner at Brumpon & Kobla Ltd., a forward-thinking Pan African management consultancy and social impact firm driven by data analytics, with a focus on understanding the extraordinary potential and needs of organisations and businesses to help them cultivate synergies which catapult them into their strategic growth and certify their sustainability.
Comments, suggestions and requests for talks and training should be sent to him at kodwo@brumponand kobla.com
