It was the year I found me again.

I could have seen this year as a very negative year for me because the year was mostly spent getting over a very painful year before, but I just cannot see it like that because out of the ashes of the year before "I" burst forth!

I learnt that I had been saved in the previous year from persisting in an unhelpful way of thinking and from making the most life destroying mistakes I could have made. Continuing down a road of gradually shutting out my light: My personality, my faith, my boldness, my dignity, my freedom, my beliefs, my love, my peace, my joy, my individuality, my hope, my thoughts, my learning, my growth, my beauty, my gratefulness for all that I have and am, my ideas...Gradually burning "ME" out, all in the name of respect for love, tolerance, professionalism and friendship. But I discovered my error and the error of many people concerning these concepts.

What I would like to see in this New Year and will aim to make it a reality in my life:
-That our societies don't become so secularised that the expressions of personal faith a need and a human right, is shouted down and forced out of existence.
-That love is really what it is. A commitment + desire, decision + passion, head + heart. The two things at the same time. The one assisting to bring out the other. Love is not just feelings.
-That a friend be someone you can be transparent with and make mistakes in front of and they will still appreciate you and hold you as dear to them, someone worth being with, protecting, helping and supporting. A friend should not make you feel vulnerable.
-That tolerance be what it claims to be; a willingness to respect the rights of those who are different from you or who you believe to be in error. Rather than what it is becoming; a fearful obsession with political correctness so that there is a rejection of any expression of exclusivity within a particular faith group e.g., a Christian project criticised for being run ONLY on Christian principles.
-That professionalism stops being measured by a one off academic course and academic qualifications and position, but that it is seen rather as continuous study and experience and the good application of that experience and knowledge. Professionals are not the untouchables.

With meditations on the Bible and good books written on the subject, prayer, a good Christian psychologist I came to a better understanding of these things and am better equipped to recognise the errors and defend myself from them.

Learn more about this author, Saron Maramo.
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