Greetings All --

One down, 11 to go. Months, that is. So how juicy has 2005 been so far? If you haven't stimulated your mind, had out-and-out fun, showcased your talent or fed your spirit yet, it's time to reassess how you're living your life. Contact me for a consultation and let's shake things up!

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Lately I find myself thinking about the concept of putting things behind us. We all seem to say that with good intentions, yet often we haven't fully thought it through. It means we WANT to put it behind us or even that we're going to TRY to put it behind us. But have we really?

Lo and behold, we find out the answer when that very thing pops out of our mouths three weeks or three months or three years later. Instead of putting it behind us, we had really only suppressed it or smushed it down to a place that was easily accessed when we felt pushed to the brink or provoked.

Part of this is because, yes, we're human. Much as we'd like to, we're not going to perfectly process every emotion and put it in its proper compartment. How robotic would that be anyway?

But certainly if we're determined to be better communicators, this has to be worked on. It's sort of like exercising a muscle from weak and saggy to strong and taut. It begins with intent and can only be fully embodied through consistent attention. In this case it means going within, well below the surface, and probing for deep answers. There's no shortcut here.

The reward? Putting something behind us for real makes what's coming towards us that much easier to handle with grace. Not to mention the joy of knowing you mean exactly what you say.

Wouldn't that be a nice Valentine's Day gift for your treasured family and friends? Now that's love.