IT'S A NEW DAY

This morning, when it was actually time to wake up I just sat on my mattress for a few minutes. As I sat there I thought to myself, “I am alive”. Usually, I here the children getting ready, and chickens making a racquet, but I sat there in the silence of the morning surrounded by, and filled with, peace.

Usually I pray giving thanks for the day then put on some music as I get going through the steps I need to take to get ready. Today, after sitting there on that mattress for some time savouring the gift of life, I began to get ready in silence.

Eventually, as I saw the children up and I went to press my clothes I put a CD on for a soundtrack to the routine. I listened to a mixture of Common, Kelly Clarkson, Lauryn Hill and Kirk Franklin.

As usual, I was still wrapping up when Soldier arrived in front of the house and Layata can by my door inquire of my status. I packed my breakfast of mint tea, bread and avocado and, with my hands full with all I would need today, I headed to the car.

I felt satisfied that I had remembered everything, as there was a lot to organize in the short time of just under an hour that I gave myself. I had remembered all of the documents, the CD’s, the books, the bottle of water, my lunch, and my shea butter. When I arrived at the office and headed down the hallway to the conference room which doubles as my office, I realized that I had forgotten one thing, my key. I rarely do that, but no one bothered me too much about it as they understand that I had been away from the office for a week.

One of the technicians opened my office and I headed in to see the new set up. The old TV stand that the computer was on was replaced with a nice desk. The big, out-of-order television set was replaced with a smaller one that works. There are some boxes for a satellite signal, which I still need to learn to operate, and there is a water cooler.

I spent a little bit of time rearranging the set-up as the computer monitor was off to the edge of the desk, while the TV was front and centre. I switched that arrangement, then switched on the German news broadcast which is given in English on GTV (the station of the nation) while I ate my breakfast. Still hungry, I also ate my lunch. Around noon, who knows, I might eat my dinner.

As for work today, I plan to use this day to get caught up on a few things including sending in my monthly report which was due last week. I also have “Freedom Thursdays” to prepare, some meetings to reschedule and some workshops to organize. Above all, I want to get re-orientated and put a plan together for the next few weeks, as well as revisit my goals over the next few months.

This is important as, just last week, sitting on a bed in a private hospital, I passed the halfway point in my eight month stay in Ghana. Though I have been here for awhile now, it still surprises me sometimes. Even last night, I was laying in my bed and the thought came to me: “I’m in Africa”. The thought makes me smile, stimulates excitement, adds the weight of purpose to the moment, and confounds my understanding. Should I be used to the idea by now? Should the reality of being here still stir such a range of feeling? Well, it does and I am glad that it does.

Revisiting my goals is not just something that I decided to do today. This is something that I have been in the process of for the whole time that I have been here. It is also a part of why I came here. More actively though, I have been making progress in this area for the past couple of weeks. With a whole lot of time on my hands last week, I was thinking a lot and putting my thoughts to paper. I wrote one piece, kind of a poem, kind of a list, and kind of a declaration; it listed all of the things that “I am”. This was based on what I do, what I dream of, what I am striving towards, and what I hope for. The list is long. One could read it and wonder, ‘how could one person do and be all of this?’ Some dreams are meant to become plans and some plans are meant to become real. Some dreams are meant to be dreamt.

For me, I am seeing the value in getting it all out – everything you want to do and see yourself as…or would love to be, or wish you were. The next step is prioritizing. Deciding, ‘What is most important? What is first?’ From there, you make plans, set goals, and take steps.

Life is not something that you can plan though. For one, living is full of unexpected twists and turns. Secondly, which really is primary, is that your plan has already been planned, and was designed before you took your first breath – before anyone took their first breath – and has been placed inside of you like DNA, except it goes deeper than biology, to the core of your spirit and to the thoughts of God.

My Dad used to always say the words of a scripture that he loved, “the wind bloweth where it listeth and so to all of them that are born of the spirit”. I was watching the movie “The Weatherman” and the main character (a weather man for the news) makes a comment about not really knowing what the weather is going to be, but rather, making guesses based on the information that you have. The wind is something in life, that if you observe, contains great lessons and wisdom for life. To me, what this scripture tells us, is that we need to be flexible – as flexible as the wind. That requires submission, for God’s guidance will always bring us to the best place, but that guidance will also bring us where we might never have ventured on our own. The reality is also that we really don’t know what the next moment will bring.

With that said, living a life of purpose requires what seems like opposites to be embodied in harmony: planning and spontaneity. To pave new paths and to go with the flow. To assert your dominion and give your life to God in submission. To reach for the stars and to find peace where you are.

There is a Norwegian jazz singer who left her home in Europe over ten years ago for New York city. A decade after she arrived, her debut album was released and acclaim followed her work. She mentioned two things in an interview that I saw which stood out to me. She said that she doesn’t feel like what she does is work, because it is what she would be doing regardless of her success: whether it meant sacrifice or prosperity. She also explained that she measures success by, “the amount of joy I have in each day”.

So I will look at my plans, ideas, hopes and dreams. I will look at my priorities (what they are right now which is reflected in how I use my time, and what they need to be in order to accomplish my goals). I will use all of this to develop a plan that is like the wind. The wind is flexible, but the wind is strong. The wind has no home, yet belongs everywhere. It’s not a case of being blown about wherever the breeze takes you, but learning how to use my wings with the wind to carry me to the heights that I was designed to reach. And when I build, I will build upon a rock, the head-cornerstone.

Last night, before going to sleep, I was praying and I spoke a commitment that I am making. I rarely ever make such statements, because I realize that I will be tested on it. I am ready though. What I said in prayer is that, “I will not waste another second on my life”.