Beginning a New Year

It's here. 2008. It doesn't look much different from 2007, so far. It feels a bit colder this year, though. The temperature is hovering around 30 degrees right now. The meteorologists are saying tonight we'll feel a steep drop into the twenties or, perhaps, the teens in some areas.

Otherwise, though, I look outside and don't see any significant differences. Same bright blue sky, same newly-barren trees whose wardrobes of leaves still litter the yards and streets of my neighbhorhood.

The trees had their parties before New Year's Eve, it seems. What I see now is evidence of their debauchery, their apparel strewn carelessly about. They're not ashamed to confront us, stark-naked, with their garments scattered in plain sight. It's as if they are standing defiantly, bragging about their wanton ways, looking for someone, anyone, to question their honor. It certainly won't be me. I'm a liberal. We try not to measure others against our own moral standards. We only measure ourselves against those benchmarks. This, of course, is said with tongue planted firmly in-cheek.

I've entered into 2008 with an intent to develop a new perspective. I will try to look at the world through less judgmental eyes. I will try to understand the motives behind others' actions so that, despite the fact that I may condemn the actions themselves, I might better understand what brought them about.

I listened to a very interesting segment of To the Best of Our Knowledge on December 30. Here is a brief description of one of the people who was interviewed, a guy who's now in his 70s: "Satish Kumar became a Jain monk at the age of nine. Now he's the editor of Resurgence magazine, founder of Schumacher College in England, and one of the leading voices bringing together spirituality and ecology. Kumar talks with Steve Paulson about how his spiritual values have informed his life."

Many of Kumar's words resonate with me for some reason, and in particular: "If we seek fulfillment, we will have no stress. If we seek success, we will have stress." I plan to listen to him again and I want to read what he has to say. If, by any chance, anyone who happens by this post has read or heard Kumar, I'd like to hear from you...what you think.

I'm fascinated by this guy and his ideas. He appears to be the consummate optimist, but an optimist who recognizes optimism needs the support of deliberate action; I think that's an interesting and informative attitude.