One of the most unimportant statistics in a football match
is the score at half time. I can share with you several examples, and you probably
know some yourself if you are a football enthusiast. A recent one comes to mind
– Premier League 2011 match between Arsenal and Newcastle United. Arsenal was
coasting to victory with 4 beautifully taking goals in the 1st half.
They went to the half time break with a 4 goal advantage and the only question
then was how much more they’d score. But all that changed in the 2nd
half. Newcastle came back and leveled the match in the 87th minute
of play. Last night/early this morning, the half time whistle for this year
sounded on all of us! The referee has called for a time out, and it provides a
wonderful opportunity to review the strategies of the first half, and decide if
we will still continue with it, or make some changes.
Every new day, new month, or New Year, provides us with an
opportunity to start again, but more intelligently. Today presents such a wonderful opportunity - to look back at the last 6
months and evaluate how far, or how not far, we have gone. I encourage you to
take time out in the next few days to do a thorough evaluation of the last 6
months. I can predict to you what will happen at the end of the year if nothing
changes now. You will get exactly the same results that you have got in the
last 6 months! Remember the definition of insanity. It is “doing the same thing
in the same way, and expecting a different result”. My question to you as you
read this is – do you like the results coming your way in the last 6 months?
Are you satisfied with the level of success you have enjoyed in the 1st half of
the year? If your answer is NO, then, something needs to change in the 2nd
half. Once this happens, the result at half time will be immaterial.
Take Stock
May I encourage you to balance your account for the last 6
months? Take stock of the important things in your life. How have well have you
done in your relationship with God? How well is your finance doing versus your
budget? Are you making considerable progress? What were the goals you set at the beginning
of this year? How well are you doing compared to that? What are the things you
wanted to start, or stop doing? Have you made any progress? One of the smartest ways to progress in life
is to take stock at intervals. That’s what a smart football team does at
halftime.
Focus On Your Strength
When people evaluate themselves in this part of the world,
there is a great tendency to always focus on their weaknesses. Let me explain
using this example. If you have a child that came home with the following
scores - English Language (85%), Mathematics (92%), Physics (87%), Biology
(50%) and Chemistry (90%)- which subject teacher are you likely to recruit for
him/her soonest? My guess is that you will be recruiting the best Biology
teacher in town to help your ward become “all-rounder” by improving his/her
Biology scores. This may be far from being right! While I am not advocating
that you close your eyes to obvious opportunities in your life, I am insisting
that you should also place close attention to your strengths. In the example
above, the child in question can go on and become the best Engineer we have
ever seen, without improving much in his/her Biology scores! What are the
things you did so well in the 1st half of the year? What are the things that
brought you’re the best results? Plan to focus on them and repeat them, even in
a better way, in the 2nd half of the year.
The greatest definition of insanity is this - doing the same
thing in the same way and expecting a different result.
Improve On Your Opportunities
Like I said earlier, I am not asking you to close your eyes
to your opportunities. You will need to do something about them too. Write down
somewhere the list of things that didn’t go your way in the 1st half of the
year. Write down the things that didn’t work so well. What are you going to do
about them? What skills are you going to acquires to do better? What relationships
are you going to cultivate to improve in those areas? What seminars are you
going to attend to bridge the knowledge gap? What habits are you going to bade
farewell to in order to reach your goals? My advice is that you pick 1-2
opportunity areas that you want to focus on and deal with them squarely.
Adjust Your Sail
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the dressing room at
half time? Anyone who has played a team game will remember those half-time
discussions with the coach when things have gone badly and everything depends
on going back out for the second half and turning the game around. It’s like
being on the sea during a stormy weather. Survival depends largely on how well
you can adjust your sails accordingly. Sometimes, you change strategies in the
dressing room. Sometimes you change people or players. Sometimes you change the
pattern of play. Sometimes, you just motivate the people to use the same
strategy in a better way. Eventually, for any change to be effected in the 2nd
half, something has to change in the dressing room. Do you need to change your
strategies? Maybe it’s your association that needs to change. Maybe it’s just
down to your attitude. Adjust your sails accordingly
Give Thanks
Many times, we think about the things we do not have and
forget to appreciate God for the things we have. Someone who doesn’t have a car
yet is angry. He is not thankful that he a pair of legs to walk! He is taking
the ability to walk for granted! Someone is angry that he doesn’t have a job
yet. He should be thankful at least that he has an opportunity to go to school
and get a degree. I know you are behind on your dreams and your goals but be
thankful for the ability to dream in the 1st place! Don’t forget the many
things that the good Lord has done for you. He gave you life, and that alone is
worth every other thing in the world. Count your many blessings. Don’t discount
them! When you learn to thank God for what he has done, you compel him to do
what is left. Have a thankful heart.
As we begin the 2nd half of this year, I commend you to the
hand of his Grace. May the almighty God add the “extra” to your “ordinary”, so
it becomes “extraordinary”. Remember that you have another opportunity to start
again- albeit, more intelligently. All your sins/mistakes/errors of the 1st
half of the year are hereby forgiven. Go and sin no more!
