Let us make our next trip around the Sun count!

The celebrations marking the birth of Christ have come to an end and in reality, a new year lurks ahead promising new chapters and even challenges in life. In the quest for counsel and words of wisdom, I stumbled on an older friend and father figure who calmly reminded me that any storms ahead will come to push us to better mountains.

In anticipation of the new year, yes that aforementioned trip around the Sun, our hopes and dreams will be laid bare in some mad rush to make resolutions. It is in this spirit that I write today: Resolutions do not matter if we are not resolute in our plans and firm in our beliefs.

The new year is guaranteed to bring personal challenges, as well as, challenges to the World order. It is up to we, as a people individually and collectively to muster up energies and plans to get past these challenges.

In the run up to the final hours of 2018, I am urging all and sundry to remember those who steered us towards the right paths in the past year, let us find the time to thank them and remind them that we will be there at their moment of need in the coming year. Then there will be those who had arguably the worst year of their lives, who will need a little reassurance that, the new year is the opening of a new chapter, let us find time to be that voice that will calm their stormy hearts.

The year 2018 had its fair share of uncertainties and trying moments to our community. We do not know what could be a shrewd 2019 has in store, but with the right amount of faith, hope, plans and a resolute approach to the same, we will be sure to walk into the new year ready to embrace the positives and ride any turbulent storms to better mountains.

My prayer in the new year is a mass embrace to being one another's keeper and less drive for individual ascent to the pinnacle of life regardless of the means. There are many among us who need that helping hand, that comforting phone call or text message. There are many who need to just hear that someone understands and cares.

I am looking forward to a more united way of getting to the top of the mountain. One that emphasizes not in what we say but what we say and do. Let us not just wear that shirt that says: I care, let us live the message into the new year, the 365 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds the Earth revolves around the sun and beyond.

Happy New Year sisters and brothers.