• What we believe has a tendency to become a self-fulfilling prophecy
I am not that old and not that experienced. However, I have lived enough to know that you get what you put out. Life is like one endless farming cycle. We are afforded an opportunity, we nurture that opportunity with our hard work, then we receive the fruits of our labour. What we receive is directly proportional to the input.
From schooling to employment to even raising children, how we approach our work will determine what the outcome will be. As such, I have come to believe that positivity is the key ingredient in everything we do. If we have a positive outlook in our situations, no matter how hard they are, we will always come out the other side in victory.
Someone close to me has gotten into the ugly habit of always complaining about money. How there are too many bills and expenses and that the money never lasts. Ever since she has gotten into that habit of saying these things aloud, they have come true for each and every penny she receives. Any money she gets, even unexpected income, is always gobbled up fast by expenses. I firmly believe that the more one cries about being broke, the more they will keep being in the broke cycle.
Even in times of hardships, we must always remember to keep saying out loud that it is a hurdle that we can overcome. Drowning in despair only leads to living in despair. Positive affirmations means fighting darkness with positivity. January is not Njaanuary. January is not long. January is a month like any other. It can be a good month, too, for those who have prepared themselves.
I intentionally stopped chasing money and worrying about money a few years back. I still do not have a lot of it, but I sleep much better and I live modestly. I remember how I constantly worry about money, not sleeping and finding specific duas that would help me get out of the financial pit. The stress, the premature ageing and constant illness were not worth it as I surrendered my problems to the universe. My prayer is simple: What is for me will find me.
Ever since I filled my life with positivity, I have seen the difference. I feel lighter, free from worry and I survive no matter where the lifeboat steers me. I spent a good part of my young adult life worrying about things I had no control over. In my mid-30s, I have chosen to take control of why own thought processes. I realised if I choose to imprison myself in negative thoughts, I am the only one to suffer, and I have had just about enough of suffering.
I realise life is not one-dimensional, and with life comes all the unexpected, the bad and the ugly. However, if we learn to embrace these bad times as just hurdles taking us forward towards the good, then we have won half the battle. The power to control your fate by something as trivial as thinking positively during hardship might seem silly to most, but it is not for those of us who have lived through it.
Therefore, this January, instead of fretting about the hardships and tough times that are stereotypically associated with the month, let us make this month work for us using positive affirmations and manifestations. January does not have the power to control you but you have the power to control how January will be for you. It can be as simple as stating, “This month will be a good start to the year.”