The Year of Man...

This article is written for the first day of the first month of an entirely new year, and before the promise of it is delivered and passed into memory, please allow me to wish everyone a bright and prosperous 2014. In my heart of hearts I wish good health, prosperity and success to every citizen of our great even though tiny Republic, and it is to this I put this first column of the new year, to offer some of the best advice that I have received over the course of my own life, and which are in no small part responsible for any of the successes I can lay claim to.

James Allen in his landmark work 'As a Man Thinketh' states that 'no man can ever rise higher than his vision of himself,' and this is as true as truth gets. A petty thief and a doctor are separated only by belief, intention and effort, and the wealthy and the poor by their habits and their expectations combined. To quote Allen directly - “Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master.” (unquote)

An upright man has a vision for himself and his life and makes the best use of all his circumstances, blessings and assets to get there. His home is a reflection of that vision and regardless of how modest, he knows that surroundings expose to daylight what others hope that the night would hide, and he makes the best effort to keep his home in good order. His family are his loved ones but also his charges, his to protect and his prime responsibility and he spares no effort nor expense in their upkeep and their development. He understands his role as parent in the moulding of minds, and what he himself does not know he seeks out. A determined man recognizes his wife as his partner for life, his solace in tempestuous times, his joy in times of plenty and his constant companion. Chosen well from among all others, he pledges to make her Queen of his Kingdom, clearly understanding the maxim that behind every great and successful man is a strong and determined woman, and, locked in each other's support, they strive to achieve this their now shared vision.

And with his home in good order, his wife blessed and his children properly cared for, a man sees to his neighbors as he understands the power of many hands to make light work. Nothing drains a spirit like strife, and instead of sweeping the chaff of discord onto his neighbor's path when cleaning his own yard, the sensible man sweeps his neighbor's path as well, creating a debt in his favor that his neighbor must and will one day repay with gratitude. Leaders understand this principle, that giving when unasked creates the greatest of powers, that which is given unasked in return for kindness. A wise man knows that a strong community goes a long way in the rearing of his own children and it is not without their selfish good will at heart that he lends this extra effort.

As a nation is made up of a collection of communities, the zenith of that idea is that our nation's present state is a reflection of that reality. In your realm and sphere of influence today find your beginning and move forward. They say time waits for no man and this is true, but time also bends to the will of men of vision and purpose. It is time that our men stepped up. Today is the first day of an entirely new year and that symbolism cannot be ignored. Use it to set the tone for all that you would have this year be and I assure you that by its end when you look back, the exact seeds that you planted today will be bearing fruit. Happy New Year. Make it count.