First of all, I wish you a very prosperous and happy New Year. Praise and thank God who has been with us throughout 2004 and for granting us a new year of 2005. New Year greeting is an etiquette and commonly used between friends, families and dear ones. But in spite of such wishes, will this New Year really bring us prosperous life or failures? To be honest, who knows someone may mess up in this New Year with fatalism, defeatism, failure or dejection, while some others may fill it with creative activities and successful livings.

As we are all aware, there are 365 days in a year. It entirely depends on us as to how we utilize these God-given days. For instance, if you go to some restaurants or tailoring shops you may experience different kind of tastes, some delicious foods and beautiful dresses while other shops may not serve you the same kind of food or dresses. Here I would like to articulate that everything is a matter of skill, ability and hard-work; that every person can learn and acquire anything through patience and endurance. In fact, natural abilities are like natural plants that indeed need pruning by intensive study.

Thus, each day of the year is solely at our disposal or it rests upon us whether to make it as a failure or prosperity. Then, how could we cultivate a prize-winning and successful life in this pragmatic materialistic world? The journey is long and the path is not a bed of roses. One has to be alone; there is no map, no guide and no other alternative than to struggle throughout one's life. One cannot escape it. One cannot evade it. One has to go either on the journey of success or failure.

John David Rockefeller has said, "The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee. And I pay more that ability than for any other under the sun." So, our creative activity, ability and dedication are the deciding factors for having a prosperous and a happy new year. On the other hand, some unpredictable happenings like accident, natural disaster, disease, etc. are natural phenomena which everyone may come across by chance.

Anyway, let us study about four fundamental ways to live a prosperous and successful life throughout 2005.

First, let's talk about our THOUGHT. Everything men-made like car, computer, airplane, cloths, etc. except natural things are the products of thought. By birth, man is a mixture of good and evil. So, both good and evil can occupy our thought. If we entertain the thought of evil, then evil reigns supreme in our mind and our deeds are always destructive, negative and they eventually lead us to misery and devilish deeds. A miserable person can give only misery to others. But if we keep our thought constantly on the positive side, we can do many good things and hence become a source of blessing for others.

Therefore, we must not give an opportunity to the EVIL to creep into our life. I must say that we are carrying both the good and evil within ourselves, so it's our choice to choose either good or evil..! In terms of biblical chemistry, the whole history of humanity begins with the Garden of Eden. Man has been expelled from the garden because of their evil thought and disobedience…! An evil thought is to disobey God's commands. Who betrays mankind? Who is the real Judas that nailed our great dream on the cross? Is not it an EVIL THOUGHT? For this reason, we must learn to keep the hygiene of our thinking positively on the good side. This is the first step to lead a successful life.

Secondly, BE BORN AGAIN everyday. Here I am not going to talk about Nicodemus from the Bible who was being born again spiritually. As a matter of fact, the greatest conspiracy against humanity is lack of will power. Those who have abused sex, drug, alcohol, day-dreaming, etc. cannot stand on their own legs; these have made them dependent. They pollute everybody, they contaminate and poison.

Man, you know, is born free. Man is not born with a fate. That's why you must be born again everyday and be transformed indefinitely. When you are asleep, you indeed experience a kind of death. You couldn't move your hands and legs as you wish. You don't recognize any surrounding environments; you don't see cigarette packets, a whisky bottles et al. In short, you forget all your habits and yourself. We fall asleep and forgot who we are. Every morning you are like a new born -BORN AGAIN. The moment you are awake from your dead sleep just forget all your dreams and start new life.

That's why I say you must be born again every day, not in the Nicodemusian sense. But believe that you are new creation and have new existence! According to Harold Wilson, "He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects is the cemetery". That is a fact. No one in that cemetery has anything to change. Thus the moment you start seeing yourself as new being, your life takes a quantum leap into a new dimension; the dimension of freedom; the dimension of truth and godliness. And with that welcoming heart, one becomes aware 'slowly and steady' of something that has been called enlightenment.

Thirdly, have a LEARNING MIND. The scientists say that a human brain can contain all libraries of the world, which much capacity is within us. In fact, a person with fixed mind cannot cultivate wisdom and knowledge. Man can live in two ways: either he becomes like stagnant water or river flowing. The stagnant water never knows anything beyond itself because it never moves beyond its boundaries. Whereas the river like flow helps you always to go beyond yourself.

It helps you to discover many hidden treasures and mysterious thing. It movement towards the Oceanic and the unbounded. Yes, life should be like a flowing river, always moving, always ready to go into the unknown and ready to risk the familiar for the unfamiliar. Look at the life of Jesus` disciples..! They didn't possess any degree or certificate to become teachers and guides to others. Although most of them were illiterate who belonged to proletarian class, but they had one strong point that is LEARNING MIND.

Simon Peter was simply an illiterate and a mere fisherman, but because of his learning mind he became one of the greatest teachers of all mankind. Thus, LEARNING MIND is one greatest gift from God. Everything under the sun can stop growing, but learning cannot stop. It grows and activating life till we die. H.W.Longfellow says, "Art is long, time is fleeting"

Lastly, let's give each day a NAME. Now God brings 365 days of the years to us, not in one stroke; but on installment basis-one day at a time. We must give them a beautiful name and meaningful one. For instance, Saturday-meditation, Sunday- thanks-giving day, Monday- doing creative work, Tuesday- recognizing others good points and so on! We are taught from our very childhood to make a name in the world, to become famous, well-known, and successful persons, etc.

So, we must define the content and nature of each day by giving that day a proper name. We must definitely give them good and positive names and they will serve you with goodness and success. Yes, whether we like it or not we will give the days names consciously or unconsciously, as a result, our life will be tremendously influenced by the name we give each particular day.

I once again wish you a happy New Year and successful life in the days to come!