How are your New Year resolutions holding up?

I have had some pretty solid success holding onto mine, I have worked on each one of them every day and the red wine one excepted, they are all in good health. Don't know what to do about that one, must my Italian genes demanding to be heard.

What's more, I have set more resolutions this year than at any other time in my life, combined, and I have made solid inroads into each and every one of them - except the previously mentioned red wine one :-) - thanks, without exception, to daily visualisation and contemplation of the desired end having been reached. I even found a small greenstone "taonga" or treasure, given to me many years ago. I keep this in my pocket and every time I touch it it reminds me of my goals. I took that little idea from "Beyond the Secret" a documentary that followed on the coat tails of Rhonda Burns earlier inspirational film "The Secret" that took the world by storm, thanks Oprah, thanks Rhonda.

You may well think it silly, I call the little piece of NZ greenstone my Focus stone, and have made the very small effort to have it with me wherever I go now. However, it seems to be working, so, so far so good. It has the mesmerising effect of focusing my thoughts in the direction I am trying to travel and it allows me to work on some positive affirmations while I hold it in my hand, whilst simultaneoulsy shedding the general negativity that has formed so much a part of my previous life.

I care not that you might snigger in my direction if you think affirmations and focus stones, positive thinking and goals are for airheads. Tell me how you intend acheiving your goals and I will support you wholeheartedly, however, tell me you have failed to plan to improve your lot and I will tell you that you have in fact planned to fail. Tell me how you mean to make your life this year better than your last?

Can't say? I wonder why?

I have already mentioned in a former Blog, the fact that I have thrown the nightly TV news out with the dishwater, with such affirming results I have now expanded that self imposed ban on news to include the total crap 10 second soundbite hourly news updates on radio and the daily radio shows I used to listen to where Politicians endlessly spin their party forced diatribe which radioland passes off as information. I have also cut back on certain aspects of newspaper reportage, and you know what? I haven't missed a second of any of it.

On the contrary, I have discovered that my attitude to life in general has improved and I am much happier and less depressed and frustrated at the state of the world. Rather than focusing on the sometimes depressing reality of life, I feel free to concentrate on MY world, MY life and from there I have discovered I can even spare time and effort to gladly help others. Amazing what you can do when you are not stuck to the couch watching the latest unrealistic murder entertainment show offered up by Hollywood.

Why not try it, it's not too late to make a resolution to improve your lot.

These unfettered evenings, and thoughts, have also allowed me focus on the Australia day celebrations due anytime in the next 24 hours. It has allowed me to appreciate the feeling of goodwill the general populace have toward the ideal of their nation, whilst they struggle with their own bag of life beaten issues. I am impressed with the ongoing attempts of Aussie nationhood at trying to maintain an identity amongst this rapidly, technology induced, shrinking planet. Granted we are far from perfect, but your average Joe Public is seemingly always mindful of issues that affect us all. National Day in my (former)New Zealand homeland is one of bitter dispute, anger, assault and taunts, all emanating from those who have fed from the taxpayer trough all of their pitiful lives. And in the attempt to appease them lest they be accused of something unsavoury, Joe Public (NZ) have allowed themselves to be completely trodden underfoot, whilst being fleeced (haha I made a sheep joke...) economically speaking, at the same time.

Now you know why so many of us want to call Australia home.

And so I give thanks to all of you who want to better this fantastic country, those who want to see the diverse and growing ethnic population propser and endeavour to help them do so, those who have arrived here with dreams of a better life and are working valiantly to acheive that goal for themselves and their families. Is the world really so detached that we feel the need to rob and kill our fellows because they happen to have been born in India, or China, or Serbia? We can change that you know.

I see so much more hope in this country, so much more drive and desire to want more than I ever saw in from the little island nation to starboard and I for one want to build on that.

Care to join me?

Happy Australia Day everybody
Biggles