The way I see it

The way I see it, making New Year resolutions are generally an exercise in futility.

They are normally well intended hot air—more bark than bite.

From experience, I have learnt that while making such resolutions, you really mean well in your enedeavour to better your life and the lives of those you love, but without true commitment and the required sacrifice, they finally go to naught.

My good friend GOOGLE, gave me a definition for RESOLUTION as-‘a firm decision to do or not to do something.’

And so, normally at the start of a year, we are so enthused about making positive changes in our lives that we make more promises that a brand new Politician.

The only difference is that on this occasion, you will not be fooling anyone else but yourself.

Well I newa!

I looked at some of the popular resolutions made for 2018 and now 2019:

  • Eat healthier—37%
  • Exercise more-37%
  • Save more money-37%
  • Focus more on self-care e.g. get more sleep-24%
  • Read more-18%
  • Make new friends-15%
  • Learn a new skill-15%
  • Get a new job-14%
  • Take up a new hobby-13%
  • PERSONS REFUSING TO MAKE ANY REOLUTIONS-32%

Interestingly, whether or not you made any of those resolutions, there are certain things being put in place on the island of Nevis, which may help you in this regard.

Let’s look at eating healthier. Past and present administrations on Nevis, have ensured that such fast foods outlets like KFC and Burger King, have not been given permission to plant their flag on the island.

However, for persons craving such ‘delicacies,’ they are only a boat ride away in St. Kitts and so you normally see persons with packages of the variety of foods offered by these Food outlets, on the boas, as they return to Nevis.

Then again, the CHINESE somehow sneaked through and no matter what we say about our Asian friends and the types of foods that they may be serving to our local populace, they still maintain a good customership.

It is also widely stated that the average Chinese does not eat what they serve in their restaurants, as they are known to eat more vegetables and a much healthier plate.

However, the Ministry of Health is making waves, by starting the trend of feeding healthy foods to the preschoolers and Primary schoolers, through education and the regular lunch program.

There is the thought process that once the children can get their taste buds adapted to the healthy vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains, which are really part of the original diet ordained by God, then they will maintain such habits throughout their lives and teach their children in the same paths.

In terms of Exercise, the FIT WELLNESS Center, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health has designed a fitness program to be implemented this very month, which will be open to all citizens and residents-FREE OF COST.

There will be an emphasis on losing excess weight and staying fit.

Have you ever observed that we have a lot of overweight people on the island—from children to adults?

The numbers could have well escalated after the many Christmas treats that were recently consumed!

In terms of saving more money—well, if the long lines at all of the banks, before and after the holidays, are anything to go by, people on Nevis, have a lot of money saved.

Well I newa!

Disappointingly, though, what I thought may have headed the list, would have been a resolve to have a closer walk with our creator God, especially as we must be cognizant of the fact that his ‘soon coming’ is one year nearer.

Of course there is the eternal fear of failure. A friend of mine once told me that he wants to become a Christian but he wants to make sure that he does not fail God, so he will try to get his house, car, a good wife and all such ‘necessities of life’ first and foremost and then he will settle down to live a productive Christian life.

The stupid thing about it, is that even as he told me of his aspirations, the enemy of our souls-Satan himself, was also listening and his job will be to make sure that the guy never achieve his personal ambitions, so that he will never reach that point when he would truly want to submit to God.

He definitely has the equation wrong, because God’s equation is different: “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you’ (Luke 12: 31).

The thing about becoming a Christian, is that it will take a bold step to give one’s heart to God, realizing all of our frailties and nothingness.

The fact that I am striving to live a Christian life, does not make me any better that anyone else.

The basic difference between a Christian and a non-Christian, is that all of us make mistakes and mess up continually, but the Christian asks God for pardon and tries not to make the same mistakes again—BY HIS GRACE, while the non Christain virtually does not care and so does not seek forgiveness.

So, maybe instead of making a long list of resolutions, that we may not be able to keep up with anyway, why not let us start this year by submitting ourselves to God—JUST AS WE ARE and allow him to mould us and make us into the type of persons that will lend a positive contribution to our beloved island community and one day by God’s grace, enable us to make it into HEAVEN at last?

That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?

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