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e are living in interesting times and more is required of us now in terms of leading a defined life than ever before. We can easily be driven and tossed by the winds of trends out there and lose track of what’s important. Social media is hyper-active right now, technological trends are hard to keep up with, information is available in abundance at the click of a button. Trying to keep up with everything can be very exhausting. It also results in a lack of identity, lack of direction and lack of effectiveness. To be effective in this generation, we have to make choices. At times these choices can be tough as they can go against what ‘everyone else is doing.’
eep Moving Foward
will walk in and out of your life at will, taking what they want from you whether it’s your precious time, resources or even a piece of yourself.
a time when I lacked direction in my life. I was living a wild life with no sense of direction but by God’s grace, I found an amazing woman, full of love and virtue. She was always well I’m not advocating for hate. Far poised but goofy too and very from it. I am actually an advocate down to earth. She could switch for love. Having been married to from hosting very important a woman that loved very much, people to dancing her shoes off losing her through a painful on the dance floor. Let me admit death process taught me that that she was an awesome danclife is short and full of so many er. She knew herself. She was questions, but love is the answer. in touch with her strengths and To get to a point where you can weaknesses. Above all, she had genuinely love someone else, you so much love for God and His must start from a point of self-re- people. Having had the chance spect and self-love. People who to meet such an individual in have no respect for themselves this lifetime is a privilege I will will seldom have respect for cherish forever. When she passed others. I’m sure you have heard away, I realized that I was faced of the statement that goes ‘hurtwith a unique opportunity and ing people hurt others.’ Even the that is to share this great message bible says we must ‘love others as of love that I experienced. I am What I am saying is each one we love ourselves.’ It’s not selfish thoroughly convinced that the of us at an individual level has to set goals and boundaries for progress of our youths out there, to be very intentional about the yourself. It is actually the healthi- is tied to the private victories information we feed our minds est option which creates a healthy we must win in defining who on, about the career choices we environment for all. We can rewe are and what winning, and make, about the friendships late better with each other when success means to us individually, we keep, about our beliefs, our each of us knows their worth and knowing ourselves fully, having values and the principles we live the value they bring to this table respect for ourselves and appreby. The structure of our lives called life. Lack of direction as an ciating our individuality. All this must be built on a foundation of individual results in unhealthy will create self-love that naturally clearly defined boundaries we set relations with others. Such relaflows to others through respect for ourselves. We must respect tions breed chaos, toxicity, hate, for their own individuality and ourselves enough to take the time manipulation, depression and so appreciation for their uniqueness. to define what success means to many other unhealthy situations At the end of it all, we become a us. If you don’t set boundaries for that do the world more harm better people, who create a better your own life, you will be treated than good. world. like a doormat by every meme, joke, rumor, news or trend that Let me quickly share on my By Mark Marko is out there. If you don’t respect encounter with love. I fell in love yourself, no one else will. People with Nomfundo, my late wife, at
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