Happy New Year

[Guest guest]

Welcome new friends and hello to old ones.

The New Year is a time for resolutions and change. We want to lose

weight, quit smoking, sleep less (or more), take better care of

ourselves, our families, our friends. We resolve to " fix " ourselves.

And beat our selves up if when we can't make our goals then resign it

to next year.

As I experience more of people around me (I grew up pretty much in

isolation) I see that people tend to go through life sleep walking -

not conscious of their actions, words, and attitude. People don't pay

attention to the cars next to them on the road when they're driving,

they don't stop and think about being considerate to another person,

they even misuse words without thinking because they heard someone

else say it. The regional colloquialism in land is " Stop being

ignorant to me. " Or " Well, did the store clerk get ignorant at you? "

The first time I heard this I had no idea what my friend meant. Was

the store clerk ignorant at me? Well he probably wasn't the brightest

person I encountered that day, but I thought he was just being lazy

and didn't want to help me. Turns out, in land, ignorant means

rude. I'm still not sure how they came up with that one, but it's

something I'm going to have to get used to it or else shove a

dictionary in front of everyone.

I guess what my point is in this ramble is simple:

Even though we love sheep for their wool because they give us yarn,

let's not be sheep ourselves. Let's wake up from our sleep walking,

pay more attention to those around us, drive with love and

consideration, be tolerant of older people that are just a tad bit

slower than us (we'll be them someday), show kindness to children so

they can learn through our actions instead of our words, do deep

breathing and ohm instead of getting mad, choose your thoughts,

words, and actions with wisdom, love, and gentleness.

Once we throw the consciousness lightbulb, the other petty things

that we resolve to do naturally fall into place. If we open ourselves

up to unconditional love of ourselves, then the diet works and the

weight falls off. Because if we love ourselves, we know that the

broccoli is a better food for us than the Twinkie, and since we love

ourselves we will not put the Twinkie in our body. If we are

conscious of our actions, then the first drag on that cigarette may

not happen. If we pay attention to the cars around us, that it's not

good to tailgate, but pull up to the car in front of you to keep the

intersection clear and realize that people around you have a place to

be, a family that loves them too, accidents drop way down.

For this year and for the all the years in our life, let's do them

consciously, will love as our intention, and see the positive

manifestations occcur. Remember: energy follows consciousness. It's

proven every day. And no matter what your religous path may be, the

core message of just about every faith is: Do unto others and you'd

have done to you. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Now, how wonderful

would the world be if you loved yourself unconditionally?) Do what

you will, harm none.

Today is Jan. 1, 2004 and 10:40 am in my neck of the woods and it's

time to wake from my years of slumber. Care to join me?

(( hugs ))

~ Kassandra