January 2007 starts a new year and an opportunity for a new life for many people in the world.
Historically, however, the New Year was first celebrated by the Babylonians about 4,000 years ago on what is now March 23rd , the beginning of Spring Time and the planting of new crops. The Romans celebrated new years on March 25th , but in 153 BC the Roman Senate declared January 1 as the beginning of the new year. Tampering with the calendar continued until Julius Caesar in 46 AD, when the Julian calendar established January 1 as the beginning of the New Year in Western society.
The concept of New Year's resolutions was also started with the Babylonians and their number one resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. Today there are many different lists of New Year's resolutions, but the top 10 seem to be:
Lose Weight
Exercise More
Eat Healthier
Take Time for Yourself
Reduce Stress
Take a Vacation
Improve Sleep Habits
Educate Yourself
Drink Less Alcohol
Volunteer to Help Others
Regardless of your situation the New Year can provide an opportunity for you to:
Take charge of your life or someone else will!
The Big Picture in this process is
Know Yourself
Know Your World
Make Wise Choices
Celebrate Your Life
These admonitions are easy to write down and easy to describe, but are enormously complex, because each one of us is a child of the universe. Every person is unique, as is their world and the range of choices available. However, we can all celebrate the life we have, the good people around us, and things we do have.
Unfortunately, as a child of the universe you are also a product of your parents and your ancestors, as well as your early environment. On one hand you are human, with capabilities far above the lower animals. You can think logically, use words and concepts, envision the future, and play a key role in influencing, even controlling to a significant degree, your destiny. However, the most basic human value that we all share focuses on survival. In order for ancient human beings, our ancestors, to survive, they needed to fight, kill, steal and horde. Those who survived expressed values that were linked to these behaviors.
We are their decedents . . . their survivors.
About 10,000 year ago in Southeastern Turkey, in the Karakadag Mountains, a variant of wheat, einkorn was first propagated. Soon nomadic tribes and clans were able to settle down, raise crops and livestock, and develop society as we know it today. The Code of Hammurabi and later the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament in the Bible, set out to define key aspects of civility.
Even though you are a product of eons of survivability, just 10 millennia of civility, and your genetics and early environment were out of your control, society holds you responsible for what you do with your life. You are given limitless opportunities, as well as countless crises. It is interesting to note that Chinese society, with its deep wisdom has chosen to...
... define crisis as a threat plus opportunity.
As we start a New Year together, let us take the Journey Into the Self knowing full well that to take this journey is fraught with danger, but the rewards are great.
To start this process of looking forward let us first look backward by making a list of three to 10 things that went well for you in 2006, as well as three to 10 things that did not go so well.
Things that Went Well
Things that Did Not Go So Well
The process of the Journey Into the Self is found in The process of the Journey Into The Self is found in the 10 chapters in my book, Optimize Your Life! During 2007 we will cover each chapter and provide for you an opportunity to ask and answer power questions about your life, your world and your process of making decisions.
Optimize Your Life! is a self-development system that features a process of defining, accepting, and improving YOU. This system may work for you regardless of your age, sex, race, social status, education, talents, resources, ability to learn, beauty, old habits, health, etc.
Whenever, I, as an older person, who has taken many risks in life, including high altitude mountaineering, ponder the date and time of my death, I am reminded of the prayer from The Buddha:
Everyday a little birdie on my shoulder asks,
"Is today the day?
Am I doing all the things I should be doing?
Am I being the person I should be?"
Remember, that Optimize Your Life! may start with a focus on you, the individual, it has been developed, tested, and adapted to apply successfully to your business, professional and organization life, as well.
Several years ago, I was privileged to attend Cavett Institute of the National Speakers Association. Of the many wise insights shared by the founder, Cavett Roberts, the one that spoke loudest and clearest to me was:
Your audience will not care, until they feel and know that you care.
I care enough to make our Journey Into The Self together a success that, I am willing to use myself as a model, for better or worse, for completing the worksheets which I will provide for you.
Taking charge of all aspects of your life will require effort and time and will be risky. I leave you with the words of French poet Guillaume Apollinaire that address risks and rewards:
Come to the edge of the cliff, he said.
No we are afraid.
Come to the edge of the cliff, he said.
No we are afraid.
Come to the edge of the cliff, he said.
They came.
He pushed them.
They flew.
You can all be eagles, you can fly as you set out to Optimize Your Life!
Go to www.OptimizeYourLifeUSA.com to sign up for the free Newsletter
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About Author :
Bernie Dahl, M.D. earned degrees in Chemistry and Bible, Medicine (Cornell),and completed residency in Pathology(UVM) before serving as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the CDC in Atlanta. Fresh out of the CDC he was named Chief of Pathology at a Medical Center in Maine. In 1993 he wrote his International Bestseller Optimize Your Life!. Contact:www.DrBDahl.com,www.TrionicsUSA.com,and DrBDahl@aol.com.
Article Source : Articleburn.com