Grasshopper Thoughts, Vol. I July 2010

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http://www.blm.gov/

It's that time again. Time to clean out the great big barn of my brain and release some grasshopper thoughts. Today, for some reason, the tangent went off towards food related thoughts, so that's what I'm writing about.

Photo courtesy of
Bing images

I live in the southern United States - Tennessee, to be specific. There are a great many culinary delights that are unique to our region, with one of them being sweet tea. Jug or table wine is another term you'll hear. Sun tea is a slightly different version, but for the most part, we make sweet tea here. Very sweet tea. I'm not a huge fan of the super sweet taste, but the grasshopper thought here is that I learned a few years ago that outside of the southern U.S., tea is rarely sweet. Picture my reaction one of stunned surprise. Okay, I was more than stunned; perhaps I went beyond surprised stare to flat out goggle. I hadn't heard of this fact and it just surprised me. Most restaurants in the south offer both sweet and unsweetened tea, but I didn't know that outside of the southern states, tea is normally served unsweetened. How 'bout that.

*Photo courtesy of
http://www.latestbuy.com/

This, then, led me onward to other food related grasshopper thoughts with the next one being cereal and the Great Soggy vs. Crunchy Debate. I cannot abide soggy cereal. I prefer it crunchy with ice cold milk. Soggy cereal looks like....well, I won't go into gory detail about what it looks like to my eyes. Suffice to say, it looks like something absolutely nasty and it tastes and feels just as bad. As in gag-inducing bad. I'm sure there are many of you out there who will disagree with me and wave the soggy cereal flag enthusiastically. There will remain a Great Divide between us, but a friendly one!

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http://www.en.petitchef.com/

Who made the decision that burnt cheese is a culinary error? No, no, no! That's the best part! Not burned to charcoal, mind you, but a nice golden, toasty cheesey crust...mmm, yes indeedy. This does not, however, apply to popcorn. Unless you're my Mom. She loves it. Just barely burnt microwave popcorn makes her a happy soul. Go figure.

Popsicle sticks - you know how most people almost hit the ceiling when they hear fingernails on a chalkboard? The sound of fingernails down a chalkboard doesn't bother me in the slightest. A popsicle stick hitting my teeth, however, well....let's just say it is highly unpleasant. It produces a repetitive wave of shudders similar to the timpani of a cymbal on the eardrum, only the waves are repeating on my teeth. I'm still a fan of popsicles, don't get me wrong. Banana flavor is my favorite. I just take care to keep the popsicle stick from hitting my teeth.

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http://www.faqs.org/

Moving on to cosmetics, I have a particular aversion and peeve. It applies to lipstick or lip gloss w/ cheap candy scent/flavor. Some cosmetic companies - some of the very high end ones, in fact - use horrid candy flavors such a cotton candy, sugar, vanilla and wedding cake paired with equally horrid, fake scents. The combination can bring on an instant headache, and make people around you ask who brought cupcakes to work. At the very least, manufacturers could post one of those Surgeon General Warning labels on lipstick and lip glosses containing vile scents and flavors to alert the innocent consumers. If they have to slap flavor and scent into lipstick and lip gloss, I prefer it to not be one that fights with my whole immediate environment and my palate. Since it's my blog post and my version of my own mystical CosmeticLand, I arbitrarily declare that a minty flavor/scent rules the day. "Off w/ your head!" is the secondary declaration should you choose to dissent this mandate and slap those fake, cheap flavors and scents in cosmetics! Aren't you glad this is a mythical, mystical land?! Heads would be rolling left and right if it were real.

These are the grasshopper thoughts that consumed my mind for, oh...a good 2.83 seconds, I would guess. Writing it all down took longer, but it did open the barn in my brain and allowed the grasshoppers freedom for a wee bit. I have no idea what next month's grasshopper thought might be, so stay tuned!
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*Disclaimer:  No monetary gain has been made from posting the cereal bowl above and mentioning the website where it can be purchased.
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If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me at Healing Morning blog.

Water and Forgiveness

The Loy Krathong song begins, “In the twelfth month on the full moon…”
By the Western calendar, the festival actually takes place in November, but by the Thai lunar calendar it’s the twelfth month. Not only are the months counted differently, but here in the village it’s actually 2542, since the original Year of the Buddha occurred 500 years before the first Year of Our Lord. I feel as if I’m a time traveler who has been transported 500 years into the future.
Loy Krathong is the second-most important celebration on the Thai calendar, and this presumably means the village will go all out. But when the celebration begins, I’m surprised at the dignity and restraint of the celebration. Unlike the prolonged and frenzied partying of the Songkran holiday, this harvest festival chiefly involves launching floating candles across the water to carry our sins away. No Las Vegas-like stage shows, no throbbing outdoor movies, no wobbly carnival rides.
Instead, after dark, we carry our modest krathongs (floats made of banana leaves and bearing flowers, candles and incense sticks) down to the village reservoir. The vast, placid reservoir is already fringed with flickering krathongs, which are bobbing near the shores from which villagers have launched them. It’s a windless night, so not many of the village’s sins have floated out into the middle, except where villagers are splashing and making waves to send them on their way.

Floating our boats of sin away is actually only one of several explanations I’ve heard about this festival. I’ve also been told that the festival involves giving thanks for the rains that irrigate the paddy fields. And in a combination of those two strains—expressing gratitude for the rains and asking forgiveness for sins--I’ve heard we are specifically asking pardon from the water gods for polluting the water. That’s a tad ironic, since the festival involves littering the waters with dozens of krathongs, some of which have come to include Styrofoam.
Still, it’s undeniably a lovely sight when the rivers and lakes of Thailand become oceans of flowers and fire this one night of the year. Perhaps the most spectacular celebration takes place in the ancient city of Sukothai, but the nearby Mekong River becomes a stream of candlelight as well.
But for this festival, the village has plenty of water and floating beauty. And of all the different explanations I’ve been given for Loy Krathong, it’s the asking-for-forgiveness explanation that I like the best. For me, this makes the ritual of Loy Krathong something like a sacrament, a visible expression of God conferring invisible grace. Or, as one definition says, “a rite in which God is uniquely active.” Amen to that. So I silently ask Jesus to forgive my sins before launching my krathong. My Buddhist friend, Maliwan, is crouched beside me, and she pauses before launching her krathong as well. “Now,” she murmurs, “we pray.” She bows her head. Our candles burn with remorse, our incense sticks send up a fragrant plea for forgiveness. Our sins set sail softly, sadly, but when our sin and regret stall a few feet from shore, we smack energetically at the water, sending the floats outward on concentric ripples of water. All my students are milling around, exchanging greetings and smiles. The whole village is out, and the feeling of a fresh start is in the air. It’s a beautiful sight, as dozens of candles flicker on the dark water.
Later, three of us from the village straddle a single motorcycle and ride to Ban Dung, where a krathong contest is being judged. Here is the lavish celebration I have grown to expect in Thailand. These krathongs are not modest—they are huge and elaborate, constructed of hundreds of tightly woven banana leaves, sculpted into royal birds and royal palaces and bedecked with festive lights.
But not only are the floating beauties of the water being judged—local beauties of the human variety are also competing for a crown. Beauty contests are another feature of Loy Krathong, and one young woman after another parades across the stage. As she crosses, pauses, and twirls, each woman’s measurements are pronounced over the loudspeakers to fervent applause.
Also posted on Strange Islands

Independently dependent

As I scratch the mosquito bites on my ankle once again, I continue to reflect on their source.


(*Side note: “OFF” only makes you sticky, smell like old lady perfume and weed killer, and does not work! – Author’s Opinion)

Recently, one of my favorite holidays has become the observation of Independence Day; July 4th to be exact. In the good old U.S. of A. we gather with food, fun, and fellowship and a robust celebration. Often involving block parties, parades, and potlucks; we gather, we cheer, and we bond.

The highlight of the festivities reaches apogee at the onset of dusk, as fireworks both public and private light the night sky. A friend observed how ironic it is that we celebrate our independence by simulating a war. It is kind of like celebrating weight loss by dressing up as a Twinkie. Interesting.

I still love the entire kit and kaboodle though. As I started the day, I enjoyed the walk up the street to the parade route. The parade in our community is quite the spectacle. It is a continual string of our veterans, local schools, cub scouts and cheerleaders, musical performances, floats, and a colorful mix of pretty much anything with legs and wheels. There is also a lot of red, white, and blue to be seen as well.

The day starts with a friends’ house becoming the hub of activity among our circle of friends, some close, some on the distant social fringe. People share the most precious gifts with one another: the company of their loved ones, recipes passed down from the matriarchs in their family, their time, their joy.

As the day progressed, people dispersed for power naps, other festive obligations, and simple leisurely reclining in the shade somewhere. The celebration is lengthy, so one may need to recharge at some point; some more so than others if inspired by an abundance of Bloody Marys.

In my down time and leading into the evening’s festivities I reflected on my observation of Independence Day. I am independent, but I am also dependent.

Truly I am thankful for the ongoing efforts of those who allow me the right to live as I do, where I do, and to not be living among rubble, oppression, and flying ordnance. In the grand scheme of things, as the universe blew on the proverbial Dandelion seeds allowing them to fly then land as they may, I am so thankful, I took root where I did. But I also looked at what nourishes me; what I am dependent on.

Now I am not talking “dependent” as if my life would be “lesser” without them, or “who I am” is dependent on them, but the things that nourish my soul, and that which I am grateful for.

My loved ones. Not just the people in my gene pool, but my friends, my friend’s friends, and those I have yet to meet. As I swam in the sea of people celebrating patriotically, I realized, they are all my family, and I love them all, the Americans as well as those enjoying the fruits of our land.

I have always believed Norman Rockwell had a hand in developing the community where we live. I am blessed not only with the aesthetic beauty of my surroundings, but the care those who are my neighbors share. It is not as much prideful, but done out of love. It is lush, mature, and green. Parks are prolific, and the sense of community prevails year round. In retrospect, I realize I have been able to find these qualities in many of the places I have lived if I take the inventory with the proper perspective.

My ability to become. Not just to “be” but “become” is what I am also thankful for. Opportunity flourishes in the absence of oppression, and for those keeping watch at the door, I salute you. I admire that the greatest gift we often extend to others is a chance... even if it is a chance to fail. Some in this world are told who and what they will be from their first breath, and their path is paved for them. I would rather carve my own way through a jungle following my own hearts navigation, than to follow the blacktop laid down by another for me.

Collectively the fact that I can even share these thoughts with you, and that I could even expand into sharing my spiritual or religious views with anyone in a public forum is a monumental blessing in itself. With that, the fact that we could disagree, publically display our views, and display flags, colors, and icons of our choice is amazing in and of itself. Once again I profess my thanks to those who fight under our flag often times for the rights of those who do not always choose to observe it, and their right to that opinion.

I guess I have become dependent on these things, these principles. It is our independence that provides me with the ability to become dependent on them. I am thankful for both. I try to not let this sentiment be observed only once per year.

So eat, drink, and be merry fellow Americans and invited guests! Prepare your “Ooooo’s” and “Ahhhh’s” for the holiday’s pyrotechnic performances. Don’t forget to extend a little thanks, a nod, and a fist bump to those who helped you obtain the right to wear that goofy star-spangled outfit. Lastly, choose your insect repellant wisely!

Repost from Artisan of the Human Spirit



http://www.tonyanders.com/

Simple choices

Photo courtesy of
flickr.com

There is a lot of distress, sadness, worry and hopelessness going on in our world right now. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a daily focus of concern and frustration as the fallout affects our environment, ecosystems, marine, mammal and avian wildlife, and robs hardworking people of their livelihoods. This newest affront is striking our country already hard hit by a tumbling economy that has caused unemployment rates to soar, affecting millions of people across the nation.


Today I read a blog post of an online acquaintance who is in a very difficult situation and seems to be at wit's end. I have been there, more times than I would prefer to remember. I sat and reflected on these constant bombardments of challenging occurrences, wondering how in the world it is possible to reach out and make a difference. I feel frustration that I cannot help others who are struggling and feeling fear and hopelessness. While I realize that each person has a responsibility to address their own life and deal with their own struggles in an authentic manner, it is still difficult to see so much sadness in the world. I recognize that I have a duty to my own life and that the majority of my energies must focus on keeping my own house, physical and emotional health in good order.

Photo courtesy of
photo.net

None of this keeps my heart from being affected by the sadness that is sweeping the world. Do I have any widespread solutions to address that sadness? I wish I did. That would be any sane person's wish, to be able to make sweeping and positive changes and improvements to negative situations the world over.

Some days, the simple truth is that the best each of us can do is put one foot in front of the other. Choose to get out of bed today. Choose to get dressed and go through the process of searching for a job along with the millions of other unemployed U.S. citizens. Choose to find reasons to smile, despite overwhelming odds and concrete situations over which to feel concerns. Choose to seek uplifting experiences, however small they may be. Choose to reach out to someone else who might be fearful and struggling and offer them a kind word. Choose to find happiness in the midst of admittedly trying circumstances. Any single one of these choices can make a difference. Any single one of these choices could, quite possibly, cause an energetic shift in an individual's life and start the ball rolling. As most of us know, just getting forward momentum to happen is one of the biggest challenges when our life feels stuck in permanent limbo mode.

My life is no different. I am living with professional setbacks that have hit over and over due to the struggling economy. I am faced with daily challenges that try my patience and have me concerned about my own livelihood. I, too, struggle with fears and doubts about how to keep my own momentum moving forward. For me, what works is to step outside of my own situation and touch other lives. I do that here, at Healing Morning blog. I also do it with small gestures where I reach out to friends with phone calls and emails, encouraging and supporting them through their own dark days.

http://www.greenbeanscoffee.com/

Most recently, I stumbled across a wonderful website that has a program called Cup of Joe for a Joe that allows anyone to purchase a cup of coffee for a soldier in any branch of the Armed Services. It is a very simple process. Click on the website link under the photograph to the right to pull up their page. Scroll down a little bit and look on the right hand side of the page where it says Buy a Cup of Joe Now. In this window, you will see that you can purchase a single cup of coffee for $2 U.S., and the window will also give you the opportunity to purchase larger gifts, or even choose your own amount. I chose to purchase $30 worth of coffee gifts. This will purchase 15 cups of coffee for 15 soldiers. It was a stretch for my current financial situation, but it was a conscious choice I made.

Less than two days later, I began receiving email alerts telling me that my coffee gifts were being picked up. Some of the soldiers are writing very kind Thank You emails. Some of them are requesting to become email pen pals, and they are all based around the world at various installations. This was the small thing that I did this past week to lift my heart and help me feel that I could make a difference in the world. It might not be a huge thing, buying a cup of coffee for a soldier, but it made me happy to do it. Many of the emails I have received tell me that iced coffees and fruity smoothies are popular, along with some type of cappuchino drink that has enough caffeine shots in it to keep a bull elephant wired for a month! Every single email alert I have received has been full of sincere thanks from each soldier.

Photo courtesy of
flickr.com

I know from many friends who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces that many soldiers do not receive regular mail from home. This is something that I find troubling, and this was another motivation to send these Cup of Joe gifts. I want our soldiers to know that people back home do care and that we think of the hard work they do everyday, and that we appreciate the sacrifices they make to uphold the tenets upon which this country was founded. This is my small thing that helps me to feel hopeful in the face of difficult times. As I am able, I will send more Cup of Joe gifts and touch more soldiers' lives in this small way. Yes, I am unapologetically patriotic. Yes, I think it matters to reach out and support every soldier who is far from home. Now is not the time to debate politics and argue what is right and wrong about where U.S. troops are based. This blog post is meant to focus on a simple kindness that I think and know makes a small difference. I choose this action because it does touch lives and it makes me happy to do so.

For those of you who are interested, you can also follow the Cup of Joe program on Facebook, and also via Twitter with these links. I make it a habit to share the program on both social media forums in the hopes that friends and colleagues will decide to join the program and share it with their friends.

http://www.greenbeanscoffee.com/

Life is a series of challenges for all of us. It is the small moments in between that I believe add color, texture, depth, growth and beauty. For an avid coffee avoider - I really dislike the smell of coffee and prefer tea - I find it a bit ironic and entertaining that coffee is proving to be such a thing of beauty in this manner. The Cup of Joe for a Joe program is my simple choice and I find it satisfying that through my eyes, it produces beauty and hope. That, for today, is enough to encourage me to continue.
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If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me at Healing Morning blog.

Lessons from a whiteboard

I have a whiteboard at work.

I inherited it from the break room area in the old building when we moved off-campus.

Interns used to doodle on it; the office manager would sometimes write important dates; and the staff used it as a backrest when conversing over a cup of coffee.

It was a big, blank white board. No grids. No columns. No definition of any sort.

Do what you will with it.

Most engineers I know use their white boards to think things through -- make diagrams and complex flow charts; write out bits and bytes of information; create mock motherboards; and leave each other nerdy messages.

Well, I'm no left-brain type, so no inspiration there for me.

It sat in my office for two weeks before the facilities guys came and mounted it.

There it was -- a blank slate, staring at me.

I stared back equally blank.

I had never had a white board before, so I was really at a loss on how to make the best use of it.

I walked around the office -- other people had different versions: one had neat little squares where you could put dates and about two lines worth of data; another had graph-like grids; and yet another had columns.

Mine was just white.

I could do anything with it. I just didn't know what.

Then, two days after the board had been installed, I went into a meeting. Came out with some front burner assignments that I immediately started transferring on to post-its, stuck strategically around my monitor.

Halfway through this task, the bulb went on.

I had four markers -- blue, red, green and black...why not use them to transfer this information on to the whiteboard?

I wrote "On the burners for October" as my headline. And proceeded to write out the tasks tagged by deadlines.

The project name was in black; the task details in blue; the due date in red; and the completed date in green.

I had a system.

On the last day of the month, I took photos of the board, cleaned it until it squeaked and my office reeked of ethanol, and then filled it again with those three primary colors and black.

Colleagues and visitors were floored by my simple system. My manager thought it was ingenious. My office-mate tried to replicate it.

For all the gadgets I own, this wire-less piece of melamine was what I had begun to rely on to keep me organized and on track.

I've used this whiteboard for almost 10 months now and as I was wiping it clean this morning to begin another month of activities, I realized that this board is so effective because it allows me to live my professional life in manageable chunks.

There is no big picture stuff on there.

Just the one month.

Four weeks. 20 days. 160 hours.

That's all it encapsulates.

It dawned on me that this whiteboard is teaching me a valuable lesson: focus on bite-sized chunks of your life. Live it every day.

Yes, all those big life plans are great to have, but who knows what's in store for you tomorrow, let alone 10 years from now?

It's overwhelming to plan out an entire lifetime given the number of variables and unknowns in one's path. Not to say that some planning isn't good, but you will be able to inch your way to the long-term plans, only when you live your life fully today.

My big takeaway?

Make a wishlist, create some milestones, do what you can, and enjoy your present -- for there is no time like right now.

Also posted on my blog.

New to Writers Rising

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post to Writers Rising and I'm so happy to be here.

I write primarily about my spiritual journey, which actually encompasses all I do, think, feel, desire, observe, intuit, and emote. In other words, I write about everything that comes into my life and hope that, considering our commonalities, something I write will touch the lives of others. Often, I give some suggestions or recommendations about my topics.

Some day I hope to finish my first book. It's almost finished but, thus far, procrastination has won, and the day of completion remains nebulous. That must give you clues about my character. My second book is already in my head - it will be about "The Ladies". They are my mother and mother-in-law who moved in with me several years ago due to old age and mental maladies (dementia and Alzheimer's). I suppose someday I'll also start a new blog site about taking care of old ladies, but for now my encounters with gerontology, which have proven to be the greatest opportunity for me to create my heaven or plunge into my hell, go into my one blog.

~

As I look at my self-portrait above, I am confronted with yet one more issue that can help my character and Spirit move forward. I have yet to post real pictures of myself anywhere. Though acceptance to what IS is one of my highest goals, I see that I haven't accepted my self-image.

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."

Philips Brooks

This is my chance. Today, I add another ring to my halo and another muscle to my character. Here I am.

Me and My Daisy

Wow! Trust me that took courage. I honestly don't have any other photos. But after this, I suppose it gets easier. I'll take some and post them to my blog. Hope to hear from you there (http://mydailyspirit.net) Otherwise, lets connect on Writers Rising.

Many Blessings!

What if?

I'm sure that by now practically every person walking the planet has heard some snippet of information about the year 2012. Various Doomsday scenarios are circulating out there, proclaiming that everything from catastrophic Earth changes to full-out Armageddon/The World Will End will occur in December 2012. As I am not omniscient, I have no idea what will happen in 2012. What I would like to say about this is....

What if the world doesn't end in 2012? We had a small taste of a similar hysteria that built up in 1999 with Y2K dire warnings of everything coming to a screeching halt with technology. Computers would crash and everything would go back to "the old ways" of doing things. Even in my area of the southeast, there were many survivalist groups which sprang up. I actually remember talking to people who were excited about this possibility; these people were romanticizing a reality that they could never truly be prepared for. Very few of us today have much concept of what living without electricity is truly like....what it would be like to have to grow our own food and be completely dependent upon the whims of nature for vital crops to thrive and be harvested. Luckily for all of us, when the year 2000 rang its way in, the world did not end. Technology rolled right along with very few hiccups to mar the even tenor of our lives. I, for one, was extremely relieved that the dire predictions didn't manifest.

And now, here we are again....hysteria building, more dire warnings predicted and quite a few people seemingly excited about the prospect of global catastrophe occurring. This is beyond my personal ability to grasp how anyone could possibly anticipate such a horrific outcome with excitement and hope, yet those people are out there.

I repeat, what if the world doesn't end in 2012? What if life continues its purposeful march forward and catastrophic earth changes do not occur? What if, starting today, we all focus positive thoughts around December 2012 and choose to believe that our Mother Earth will survive to harbor us all?? What if...instead of global disaster, the true shift that occurs is one of unity and peace?

What if the true worldwide manifestation that is predicted for December 2012 is actually a spiritual shift that brings us together on a worldwide level such as Man has never experienced?

Would people be disappointed if this positive wave of energy is the true manifestation that we experience? Maybe. I don't doubt that some people really do want to see a huge amount of chaos and drama instead of an equally huge wave of good enveloping the globe. Is it wishful thinking to believe that in a flashpoint moment, every person walking the planet could be instantaneously changed for the better, that each individual harmony that we call our Spirit could be lifted and shifted to a higher consciousness? I don't see that thought as any more preposterous or impossible to embrace than the Doomsday concepts swirling about. Why do we as a people tend to get more easily wrapped up in a negative scenario? I guess we could brush it off as something that is inherent to our psyche.

I just know that I, personally, feel that it is necessary to focus on a positive manifestation for December 2012.

If there is even a modicum of truth that we truly do generate our reality from our thoughts, then I find the willful belief in the negative 2012 scenario to be frightening. There are definitely a great many people who do believe in that negative scenario. In light of this, I choose to feel, think, believe and speak positive thoughts in return. I have said this many times before and will say it again here:

My belief is that December 2012 will be no more eventful than the Harmonic Convergence in 1987.

This was another moment in recent history where many Doomsday prophecies were spinning around, yet the day dawned bright, clear and uneventful. There were people the world over joined together that day in positive thought, I do remember that. Were they responsible for the lack of catastrophic events, or was the fear based thinking simply that....fears with no basis? There is no way to answer that question. I just know that the day itself was a calm, quiet, peaceful one in my small spot on the planet.

Nobody knows what that specific day in December 2012 will bring for our planet. What we can say with certainty is that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Earth changes can and will happen, as they are a natural part of this living planet's evolution. Yes, those Earth changes can be incredibly destructive to land, property and lives. Is it written in stone, or the Mayan Calendar that the world will end on that day in December 2012? No, it is not. It is simply the ending of one calendar's cycle and the beginning of a new one. I am not writing this article to debate the science of the Mayan people. I am here to suggest that rather than wrapping a blanket of fear based thinking about us and focusing on negatives, what if we change our mantra to:

"The world is just beginning a new cycle in December 2012 and we are all fortunate to be there and welcome this positive, new energy wave."

It is a simple shift of our daily thoughts and takes mere microseconds to achieve. Just give it some thought. What if you make this one small change? I can say this much with absolute certainty - when I think of the Doomsday predictions of disaster, I feel like absolute crud. When I think of a positive manifestation of strong beauty, higher vibrations and only good things occurring on that day in December 2012, I feel wonderful! I know which mindset I prefer to embrace. I know which emotions and feelings I choose to experience, and that is where my conscious thoughts are focused for the year 2012. Again, if there is any veracity to the belief that our thoughts are what shape our reality, why not begin today by choosing to think positive, uplifting, healthy, safe, beautiful thoughts for our world for the year 2012? What if that is what makes the difference and shifts the energy from negative to positive for that year?

Seriously, people...what if? We are the stewards of this glorious planet - why not be mindful of the thoughts we project about our one home?? I know that I grow increasingly weary of being bombarded with all the fear based thinking, all the dire predictions and people practically salivating in anticipatory glee with the negative predictions. I find that type of mindset to be exhausting and draining to be around, and I definitely don't choose to read it online, in newspapers or watch it on television. I am not suggesting that we all sit in a corner and ignore the negatives in our world. They definitely exist and are reason to be concerned and take action. That is not at all what I am talking about here - I am talking about choosing to think positive thoughts and project positive energy towards the year 2012. What if that is all that is necessary to shift the energy and make that day as quiet, calm and peaceful as the day of the Harmonic Convergence and the first day of the year 2000? It certainly can't hurt a blooming thing for all of us to choose those positive thoughts over the negative ones.

I admit that I am one of the more patriotic people out there. I am patriotic about my home state of Tennessee; I am patriotic about my country, the United States of America and I am patriotic about this beautiful planet upon which we all live. I want a strong, positive future for myself, my family and all the people that I love....and I want that same reality for everyone else walking this planet. Many people will read these thoughts and say that I am still wearing rose colored glasses and viewing life through idealistic eyes. I will staunchly agree and take one step further to declare there is nothing wrong with either choice. I have chosen to use only beautiful photographs to illustrate this blog article because I see no reason to embrace negatives in thoughts or visual images. What if that's really all it takes to tip the scales in the direction of only good things for us in the year 2012?

I don't have the answers to that one solid question, but I think it is worth taking time each day to choose the positive mindset. I think it is worthwhile to take moments out of each day to choose to believe the year 2012 will be full of positive happenings and that our world at large will continue. I think it is uplifting to choose those positive thoughts and believe that the year 2012 will be peaceful, safe and calm for all of us. This is my choice in the What if? question. This is what I choose and I hope that many others in the world will choose that same path. What if? It's a good question. How will you choose to reply?
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If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me at Healing Morning blog.