Does our past become the foundation for our future?  This week is a time of transition from old to new, past to present. As tempting as it is to make fresh resolutions for the New Year, using the brickwork of the past is more comfortable and realistic… evolution not revolution.  Elbert Hubbard, the philosopher, said, "Little minds are interested in the extraordinary; great minds in the commonplace.” So what’s familiar and commonplace? Let’s look at the brick and mortar of yesteryear to build a strong foundation for this coming year.

When we have good health, good times, good relationships, we feel grateful and at peace. But sometimes when we want to bring light to transform the sad, dark corners of our lives, we hit our limits. As mortals, we feel powerless to create the result we want. It’s then that we turn to a higher power. We ask for a miracle, a surprise outcome that can’t be explained by logic. Many times we're disappointed. We forget that miracles are not at our command.

Have you ever had a bad injury: pinched nerve, pulled muscle, broken bone, unrelenting cramp? Nociception is what lets you know. It's our body's programmed alarm system, sort of like a smoke detector, but instead of sound, it’s screeching pain. As soon as the central nervous system detects change above a safe threshold, the alarm goes off and it can’t be ignored. Four weeks ago, nociception stopped me in my tracks.

Good quotes offer a quick hit of wisdom. Those that resonate provide an "aha"- a delicious moment of shared insight. Does it matter who said them? Do we appreciate wisdom independent of its source, or is it the source that influences our idea of what is wise? For me quotes are windows to the values of an individual. Come be a voyeur with me...