Talk about ‘fresh beginnings in 2012′ and you got to talk about your ‘connections’.

Like the old saying “No man is an island”, relationships play a major role in starting 2012 afresh. Relationships can either build you up or tear you down.

Show me your connections and I will tell you what you will become! That’s the power of connections. And that’s why you got to choose relationships with good people. So our ninth step in starting 2012 afresh is connecting with good people.

As you go for good connections, here are some 7 qualities which will help you identify them:-

1. Look for those with good character.

Character is the real thing. It comes from the core. Recently my wife and I had been to a quality restaurant. The facility looked impressive. But the food wasn’t that great. Performance may sometimes be cheap imitation. Go for the gold, not imitation. Connect with people of character.

2. Look for those who rejoice in your success.

A smart way to find good people is to check how they respond when you succeed. Some overlook your success. Some envy your success. Some celebrate your success! Hook up with the third category.

3. Look for those who encourage you.

If you expect everyone to encourage you, you will be disappointed. However there will be some who like what you are doing and they will encourage you. Network with such folks.

4. Look for those who are more successful than you in your field.

If you really want to grow, you got to learn from those who already grew in your field. Amateurs can provide growth principles in ‘drops’ while professionals ‘shower’ it on you!

5. Look for those who have a positive outlook.

Mindset matters. Hang out with the optimists than the pessimists. There are some rich folks who have a frugal mindset. There are also some poor folks who have a lavish mindset. Better to be positive in a negative world than being negative in a positive world!

6. Look for those who have time for you.

If someone lends you his time, it’s an indication of the high value he offers you. If someone values something, he has all the time for that thing. If he devalues it, he has all the excuses why there isn’t time for it!

7. Look for those who could mentor you.

What you can learn by yourself within 1 year can often be learned within 1 month through a mentor. Never underestimate the value of a mentor when it comes to new beginnings and growth.

Proverbs 13:9 says “The lives of good people are brightly lit streets…”. They help you start and maintain 2012 afresh.

Read the poem: Why God gave us friends

We hope our article will help all of you to connect with good people in 2012. Question: What other qualities are you looking for in people you like connecting with? Add your comments below.

- – - written by Joe Abraham from www.joeandancy.com

There are many good things in this world. Our world is not that bad as many suppose. Since God created it and is ruling it, it does have so many good things to offer us.

The Scripture exhorts us to think on what is good, pleasant and noble. Why? Because there are so many good, pleasant and noble things in this world to think about!

What you expect as you wake up in the morning has a tremendous impact on you that day. If you expect good things, you will experience it at different times and situations all through the day. Even when you face bad stuff, since you are expecting God’s goodness, you will be able to overcome the bad.

Embrace what is good. See the good side of people. Enjoy your work. See goodness in your present state.

When busy, it’s easy to lose sight of the good things in life and give in to stress and pressure. Find time to relax and enjoy good stuff. The Scripture notes that during the time of creation, time and again God enjoyed all that He created.

Enjoying what is good is a decision that you make daily. It is your act of praising God for all that He created. It is also your act of thanking God for His goodness.

- – - written by Joe Abraham

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom… it died.

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So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.