Ring Out Wild Bells for a New Year

Christmas day has come and gone.  The New Year is hours away.  The words of poet Alfred Tennyson ring in my ears, and I ask myself questions like: "What do I need to let go of so there is space for something more important or meaningful in my life?"and "What can I do to increase peace on earth? Or in my own family or neighborhood?" and "How can I show a larger heart and kindlier hand?"  The answers to these questions are found in each individuals' soul, and if included in each persons' list of resolutions, 2013 will indeed be a New Year!

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

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Transformational Entertainment Meets Transformational Education

Recently I was introduced to the GATE organization: Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment.  Here is a brief description of what GATE is all about http://gatecommunity.org/what-is-gate/  It's thrilling to know there is such a great interest for artists, entertainers and educators to provide information, resources, and entertainment options that are uplifting, edifying, transformational, and focused on global awareness from the inside out.

Why is this so exciting to me?  Because it's what I write!  Stelladaur: Finding Tir Na Nog is written in a genre I coined as "Young Adult Transformational Fantasy".  A book becomes transformational when the person reading it does so with the intent to make a difference.  Intent transforms!  "The Stelladaur Academy's mission is to provide an online campus where young people discover the value of imagination and intuitiveness in the pursuit of knowledge, creative renewal, and compassionate living."  The novel is used as the main resource in the curriculum. If G.A.T.E. meant Global Alliance for Transformational Education, GATE and The Stelladaur Academy would be twins!

I look forward to meeting with Jim Carey and Echkart Tolle in Hollywood in February at GATE3, and sharing ideas that transform the way we think about entertainment and education!

T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak

When was the last time you said something to someone and immediately wished you hadn't? Or regretted saying it the way you did? Words are a powerful communication tool that can be used to help build and strengthen relationships.  However, all too often we speak without considering the impact our  words may have on another.  This can be especially true when talking with those we love the most. At this time of year when spreading a little cheer, good will, and even peace on earth seems to be more accepted--and hopefully more prevalent--perhaps the best gift we can give to each other is words of kindness.

I recently heard an insightful acronym for the word think, to be used as a barometer whenever our emotions may be obscuring our ability to say something nice.

T - Is it True?
This question requires us to stop and take time to consider if our perspective is skewed, or otherwise completely out of whack.  Maybe we don't have all the facts, or there is something about the situation of which we are unaware. Perhaps the ego is in the way and emotions are blocking us from seeing a more accurate perspective.  Is it actually true?

H - Is it Helpful?
We ought to consider if our comments will help the situation or improve the circumstances. Will it help build relationships?  In the long run, relationships are always more important than opinions.

I - Is it Inspiring?
This suggests a deeper level of language than merely making a helpful comment.  When we say something inspiring, we are noticing the value in another person and the contributions they have to make. We hope our words help them recognize this in themselves.  Inspiring words are carefully chosen and used with genuineness.

N - Is it Necessary? 
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" is sound advice.  And sometimes it really is effective to literally "bite your tongue" while you determine if what you're dying to say is necessary. Of course important issues need to be addressed and stuffing things under the rug doesn't make them go away.  However, it may not be necessary to say what's on our mind at the particular moment we feel like saying something.  We may be better served by letting it go, or coming back to it later.

K - Is it Kind?
If we've considered the first four questions of the "THINK-Before-You-Speak-Barometer", and the situation still merits a verbal response, make sure it is spoken with words of kindness.  "Thank you", "please", "I am sorry", "I respect your feelings", "I appreciate", "I like the way...." and other gentle words will soften tense situations and improve relationships.

I saw a bumper sticker not long ago that simply stated, "Don't believe everything you think!" This, too, is a poignant reminder to see if our ego is in the way.  Next time you feel like you have a lot to say, or you can't wait to tell someone what you really think about them, or you just want to vent, try the T.H.I.N.K. barometer.  You may find that your temperature cools down, you breathe more easily, and your heart beats more calmly.  I understand that kindess actually expands the heart. Isn't that what happened to the Grinch?

When Disappointment Strikes

Part of life is dealing with disappointments. Every day we face challenges that test our ability to cope.  And every day there is an endless list of possible ways in which things don't go as we plan. The alarm didn't go off...There's no hot water...You miss the bus or your car runs out of gas...You get a lower score than you expected on a test...Someone reacts differently than you thought they would...Your lunch tastes "blah"or isn't what you ordered....Your credit card is denied...The movie you thought was going be just what you need to forget about your woes is a huge let down...There's no toothpaste but the store is closed so you go to bed with a really bad taste in your mouth.  Some days are like that.  But the key is to not let that yucky taste linger. Brush it away with a deep sigh and a reminder that tomorrow is another day.

But what happens when the disappointment is much more than an irritation or annoyance? And a sigh brings little relief, or you're not even sure tomorrow will come. What do you do when it's something that grips your heart, and your whole body, into a tight knot? You didn't get the job you felt sure you had in the bag...Someone you love betrays you...The doctor uses the word "terminal"...Your parents use the word "divorce", and mean it...A dream is shattered. These deep disappointments, and countless other scenarios, are often labeled as tragedies.  However, when it's something that's completely out of our control, the best refuge comes from within. Times like these give us opportunity to define and refine our mind, our heart, and our soul.  Or at least our resolve to not let the situation drive us to depression or despair.  Allow the experience to increase our desire for a deeper and more meaningful life.

Easy to do?  Absolutely not!  It's an ongoing process indeed.  But when real disappointment strikes, our greatest strength is our ability to decide how we're going to react and what we're going to do with it. It's that very gift of decision that changes us from the inside out.  And makes all the difference.