Last week a colleague sent me a link to a trailer for a new movie that's coming out in mid November called "2012."  The movie is about people trying to survive natural disasters that come about as a result of the ending of the Mayan Calendar.  One look at the trailer was all I needed to know that it wasn't something I wanted to see.  Honestly, my immediate reaction was, "Great, just what we need right now: A big-budget film that exposes everyone to massive destruction, human suffering, and lots of emotional pain."  I couldn't help but think about what good the money used to make this movie could do if it were put to something hopeful, helpful, and inspiring.  But that's just me...

Seeing the trailer, though, did prompt me to remind all of you to be mindful (pun intended) of what you allow into your lives. We are living in times of great change and great opportunity.  And we are being called to take seriously the extraordinary power of our creative thoughts.  I encourage you to be a good steward for your mind by doing things like:

1. Stop watching violent news, videos, and sensational drama.  Choose to stay informed in ways that educate and entertain you without assaulting your senses.
2. Focus more on your own life and the positive changes you're making than on the dramatic lives of those celebrities and characters who show up in the media. While it can be a good distraction from pain to escape into the story line of someone else, in the long run it doesn't serve the most critical story line of all:  your one, important life.
3. Pay attention to what the kids around you are being exposed to by checking in with them on a regular basis.  What are your nieces reading on Facebook?  What are your sons or daughters watching on TV?  Which videos are the kids in your neighborhood checking out on YouTube?  During a conversation with a mom at an event in New York, I learned that her ten-year-old son was so upset about 2012 that he couldn't stop talking about it. It seems he heard kids discussing the movie at school and was terrified that the world was going to end. Poor dear. Thank goodness this little boy could talk to his mom. Our children are our future and it serves us all to care for their little minds as best we can. 
   

Finally, please get feisty and do what you can to protect our collective consciousness. Be a power of example - a person who takes care of his or her mind and shares hope and emotional prosperity with the world.  Don't settle for fear and exploitation. The real tragedy of 2012 would be to buy into the unnecessary darkness and fear.  Please take a stand for the light.

This week, imagine yourself as a guardian standing by a beautiful golden gate that protects anything from entering your mind.  Bear witness to what comes into your life - people, conversations, news, stories, imagines, etc. - and carefully choose what will pass through this gate. Be sure to notice the difference it makes in the quality of your life ☺.