Happy New Year...Why Not

Spring and summer are my favorite times of year. When spring arrives, the sun invites us out to play by warming up nature, and colors seem to manifest from nowhere in the form of flowers and foliage.  It is like a new beginning of nature's cycle. Summer is like a celebration. Most people take vacations as a way of relaxation or exploration. It reminds me of my childhood when summer marked the end of a school year and the beginning of carefree living, limitless fun, and enumerable new experiences. It was also a time when many children experienced growth spurts or puberty.


Spring, for me is like the beginning of a love affair. You feel warm and fuzzy inside, everything is beautiful, and the excitement is in the potential of the pending blooms. Summer arrives and the love affair heats up and is in full bloom. Every sense is activated. The sun kisses your skin, sweet juicy fruits tantalize your palettes, the sound of children laughing and playing trigger memories, the smell of veggies (ok burgers) grilling wafts through your neighborhood, and the sight of crystal blue seas on your tropical vacation soothes your spirit.


Both of these seasons feel like the beginning of a new year for me when they arrive. I've often wondered why    a date during one of these seasons wasn't designated as the start of a new year. It's all pretty random the way we package up "time" into manageable containers. The Ethiopian calendar marks September 11 as the new year, and the Chinese calendar has a different date in January or February every year to celebrate a new year. January 1 never really feels like a new beginning to me. It's part of the "holiday season" coming right after Christmas/Hanukkah the year before and in the middle of Kwanzaa. The weather is pretty much the same as the year before. It just seems like more of the same.


Really, we can choose our own personal new year...and we can have more than one. We can choose any month, day, or minute to begin anew.  When we feel the most energized, joyful, or excited about ourselves or life, we can choose that moment to go forth and explore or create new opportunities to expand our knowledge, skills, consciousness, whatever appeals to us. Or, maybe we can choose that moment to become energized, joyful, or excited. When you catch yourself feeling like you're in a rut, perhaps it's time for a new year.  Feel fed up? No worries, the new year is here! It's never too late to make new discoveries, navigate new waters, or build new bridges. Life started a long time ago...but you can choose when to start living. Happy New Year! Peace and blessings.

These Be the Good Old Days-2011 Wrap Up

Time is a man-made construct. Energy just keeps moving. Every day is like new years eve to me because every day is a new beginning. Nonetheless, I am compelled, on this last day of 2011 to reflect on the year. A lot has happened, and I've noticed that everything that one might consider as "bad" that has happened to me has been followed up by something "great." So, I no longer see things as bad, only necessary steps to the great. Here are some highlights.

I found myself without a car at the start of the year, by spring I had another one, free of charge, no payments, and great on gas.  I've struggled to meet new friends in my new city, but I've had time to do a lot of writing which brings me joy, pick up a new hobby-jewelry making-and I've made a closer connection to my Creator, my Father, The Mighty King. Oh, and let's not forget my mini tour with my favorite group Groundation. (read about it here).

There have been some special people who have entered my life, however briefly, or infrequently. They have made a great impact on my life and they probably aren't even aware of how great. The connections we've shared have enhanced my living, and for that I give thanks, you know who you are. I've even gained lessons from those whose energy I had to learn to counterbalance. That is what this blog is about anyway. I am not here to dispense wisdom, but to gain it. The Rising of a Queen is about my journey to the throne, the throne being a place of mutual love, respect, peace, and oneness with all of creation. I am just sharing what I learn, as I learn it.

I hope this year brings more interaction and connections with good people. I'd like to see barriers taken down between people. Celebrity, wealth, "power", religion, "race," age, education, geographical location, possessions, and anything else one can think of to separate, are insignificant. We are all spirits wrapped in skin, flesh, and bones, with the same destiny. No one is better than the other. Connections and interacting with people is what gives spice to life. You never know who might be just the right ingredient to give flavor to your life.

I want to give a heartfelt thanks to anyone who has read my blog, but especially to those of you who visit regularly. Thank you to my biggest viewers the U.S., A special thanks to my Russian readers, I see you! Spasibo balshoye. (I hope that's right). Thank you United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, the Ukraine, , Belgium, and Latvia. Stay tuned. Happy New Year. Love and Light.

Challenge: Be kind

Happy New Year to you and your family. This year is about going bigger and bolder for me as I have some catching up to do on my trod to the throne. Many people use the arrival of a new year to make resolutions which they let go of in a few days, weeks, or months. Resolutions are just words without a plan and a prayer. I don't do them anymore, but I do like the idea of using this new orbital period as a new beginning, a fresh start. It's a hopeful time, however brief it may be, when everyone decides to work towards being better people to themselves and others. Some actually achieve these goals, and so I have been pondering how to help people create goals that they can actually achieve.

The first issue to get away from is making a resolution. A resolution is a statement or declaration of an intention (dictionary.com). A statement or intention has very little strength behind it. Now dictionary.com defines a goal as; the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end. That is what we need, to exert effort towards an aim or end. But first we need a plan. One problem with resolutions is that people don't think them through enough to see if they're attainable for them, how they will go about achieving them, and if it is realistic. Most people resolve to lose weight by eating right and exercising, but they have no real idea of what eating right or exercising is. They think celery sticks and water combined with 2 hours on the treadmill is going to do the trick. Well, first of all, celery is not rich enough in nutrients to sustain someone alone and people don't say 'mmmm celery' so they break down and go for the burger. Secondly, exercise should be something you enjoy and will be willing to do regularly, not boring and exhausting.

Others want to make more money, fulfill lifelong dreams, find a husband, etc. I can't necessarily give tips on how to achieve those goals, but I can offer some help on how to achieve something this year that will make you feel good all year long. Why not take baby steps and start with something you can take steps daily to achieve and then use that method on the bigger goals. I offer you a challenge. Starting today, make a point to say or do something kind to one person you know, and one stranger. It could be as simple as a smile, or a compliment (as long as it is sincere) or it could be giving someone a hug, or a ride, or spare change. Simple acts of kindness not only make you feel good about yourself, but it also spreads kindness throughout the world. Now some of you may think this is hokey or won't do any good, but you will never know for sure until you try it.

If you commit to consciously being kind to one person you know and one stranger, in small ways, you will find that after a time, you have stuck to a goal. Now you have a blueprint on how to proceed with the bigger goals. One thing, don't let your random acts of kindness give you license to be unkind to someone else. It doesn't balance it out, it cancels it out. Come back and visit this post and tell me about your experiences in the comments section. If you find that you have slipped, offer up a prayer or statement of forgiveness to the Higher Power or universe and start again the next day. Random acts of kindness could lead to world peace, or at the very least, peace in your world.