Dear Editor,
It is customary for everyone at the dawn of a new year to make New Year’s resolutions. Some popular resolutions are to lose weight, cut down on the consumption of alcohol, quit smoking and spend more time with family and friends.
Needless to state few if any of the resolutions are fully or even partially realized, and we soon find ourselves doing the same things we had hoped to dispense with at the beginning of the year.
This is not an unusual situation and there is no point beating up on ourselves for our failure to live up to our resolutions. We are all creatures of habit and it takes an enormous amount of restraint and will power to change our habits.
This is not to suggest that we should give up on our efforts to improve our lifestyles.
I know of several people who were at one time or the other alcoholics and chain smokers, but who successfully kicked off those bad habits and are today much better off for so doing.
The important thing is never to lose focus on your goals in life and always to remain positive and optimistic. Always see the glass as being half-full and not half-empty.
I firmly believe that despite our challenges both at the individual and national levels, things are looking up in Guyana. We have done reasonably well, especially when compared to other countries in the region and beyond.
A lot depends, however, on our own outlook and attitude to life and living. We need to stop blaming others and move on with our lives. We need to shed some of the baggage of the past and reach out to opportunities whenever they present themselves.
Life is all about responding to challenges. It is the way in which we respond to challenges that defines our success or failure in life. One important ingredient is to embrace principles of honesty and integrity and avoid the get rich syndrome.
As the saying goes, honesty is always the best policy.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally