Another year has escaped. I planned on doing so much more in that small time frame of my life. Isn’t that the way it is? We are always behind, always trying to catch up, always striving to gain more than we have, and want more than we gain…it’s a treadmill. We may not be in a cage but we are still on a treadmill.

I do, however, stop to listen to people around me, look at the sun and moon, yearn for the fresh night air and cool breezes of the desert, cherish the times I leave the electric city behind and head for the pure, spiritual release of the wilderness, love quite easily, find humor in almost all situations (if I didn’t, some of them are so sad I couldn’t bear them), always try to find the bright spot in a gloomy picture, and pray for peace on Earth and good will to all of us – during the entire year – why save it for the holidays?

I believe every day of our life should be a holiday. If we see something that a friend would enjoy, get/give it to them right now, tomorrow may never get there and they may not be around when you decide it’s the right time.

My list of “do’s” for the year:

• Tell important people in your life that you love them.
• Appreciate what you have.
• Sprinkle kindness and affection on everyone you come in contact with, even if you have a hard time accepting them as they are. Perhaps you need to look at the world through their eyes before you judge why they behave the way they do.
• Build a better you – we can all use a little work in restructuring our lives and thoughts. That doesn’t only apply to the mind, it applies to exercise. Exercise knocks the wrinkles out of your brain and helps you relax with what’s going on around you.
• Give up the past and use it only as a guideline, try not to revisit it too often other than a gentle nudge to know you’re moving in the right direction.
• Enjoy the pain of learning – it helps you REALLY appreciate life when it’s good.
• Forgive. The first person you need to learn to forgive is you – that opens the doorway to everything else.
• Step outside yourself and take a look. If you don’t understand you, how could you possibly understand someone else.
• Always question. Keep an open mind and never quit searching for answers.
• Never look at a failed endeavor as defeat, use it as a stepping stone to progression.
• Last and most important – jump off the treadmill.

The end of another year, the beginning of another time – may we all enjoy every moment of it!