Calm in the waters

3:10 pm, Thursday September 27 2018, a day that started with a bright sunshine almost suddenly experiences strong winds, the skies darken, then , the rains starts to pour down heavily;I decide to stand outside to catch a glimpse of the droplets of water as they hit the heat-ridden grounds, but then I see this young school girl walking at a rather slow pace, unperturbed by the fast moving army of heavenly waters; her head tilted a bit downwards and her school bag strapped at her front.

"This girl must have some guts”, I told myself, she seemingly does not care about the waters, and getting herself and her books wet, one thing was for sure though… be it rain or shine whether she rans or walks she will definitely get home; gradually, this young lady walked past and finally went out of sight, the last glimpse of her brought this to mind;

Sometimes as adults life brings to us very stormy situations, troubles that threaten to bring down the very foundations of our lives but here is the deal, like my friend in the spurting rain, at certain points you have to keep calm in the face of your worries knowing that the rain of troubles will surely cease someday, again you’ve got to remember that the darkest of tunnels always have beaming rays of light at its end, it is important you always keep your head up because no matter the weather, it has its season; tomorrow will surely be a brighter day.

The year 2018 has been a rather challenging one for most Ghanaians; with much reference to the banking and financial sector, lots of people have had their hard earned monies locked up with banks and other financial institutions; this has brought untold hardships on depositors for a large part of the year.

That aside, the collapse of the five indigenous banks came with a wind of unemployment that swept away a section of employees of the defunct banks into joblessness, the effects are obvious.

As the year inches to a close, we need to bear in mind that each year comes with its challenges and it’s inevitable, it is imperative that steps are put in place to survive any unforeseen storm the year ahead throws to us; mental toughness should be a necessary ingredient in the quest to shield any dart of challenge the year will pose to you.

Risks are inherent and a part of our daily lives, however some risks are under our control, taking care of your health, knowing the difference between needs and wants (cuttings down expenditure), growing your money through investments, forming productive alliances and having an insurance policy to help you when the bad times arises are manageable factors that can help sustain your living in the year ahead and beyond.

On the flip side, certain risks are just outside our control, external risks I mean, things that happen to us that we have no hand in their occurrence; for these it’s important we prepare adequately by working on our finances and mental toughness to cushion us when the inevitable happens, we do not pray for bad things to happen but in an imperfect world, preparation for the worst is a must.

I speak of the preceding paragraph not forgetting the need for us to commit ourselves to prayer each day as this world has an unseen element (the spiritual world). For each time you set out to begin your day, commit your ways to Jehovah, to guide your steps and protect you and your family; Proverbs 3:5,6 trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall guide your path.

Talking of growing your monies through investments, Ghanaians must beware of financial institutions that promises rates far above industrial averages, the issue of menzgold comes in handy here and the lessons are bare for all to learn from; save your money with licensed and reputable financial institutions and please do not fall for mouth-watering interest rates.

Half past 12 midday and 2018 is gradually giving way to 2019, set your resolutions and commit yourself to achieving them in the year ahead, for those who have gone through untold hardships this year, remember to keep your head up and keep calm even in the waters, the storm will surely be over someday.

Happy New Year in advance and God bless our homeland Ghana.