The news media daily tells us about war, murder in our own
cities, sniping and hatred. Are we unable to change that
course? What if for one day, we had a worldwide "stand-
down," a temporary cessation or suspension of business as
usual, and focused on what it means to love and be loved? To
be kind and gentle?

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate the birth of Christ, Chanukah, Kwanza,
or something else, this is a time of year that has most of
us rushing here and there to purchase something. There are
gifts for loved ones--or business gifts--there is food to
purchase and prepare--and perhaps even decorations and new
clothes to buy. Merchants love this time of year!

After all of this, we relax and enjoy the company of other
people for perhaps a day or a week, and then we're off again
on the next quest. You might say, "Such is life."

What if we took some time to be alone. What if we stopped
and listened to the silence. What if we thought about the
meaning of love--how we experience it and how we express it.

The news media daily tells us about war, murder in our own
cities, sniping and hatred. Are we unable to change that
course? What if for one day, we had a worldwide "stand-
down," a temporary cessation or suspension of business as
usual, and focused on what it means to love and be loved? To
be kind and gentle? Military units and firefighters have
stand-downs; veterans organizations have stand-downs for
homeless veterans. Why can't ordinary citizens use a stand-
down to stop fighting and hurting each other? What better
time than this time of year?

What a different world it would be if we stood down and
focused on kindness and love. No child abuse, no bickering
and back stabbing, no cheating. Impossible! Fantasy? Maybe
so. But what if each one of us took one positive action to
turn things around. Would it make a difference?

If you could name a National Stand-Down Day for kindness and
love, when would it be? World Peace Day would be a good
beginning. But just days before Christmas, it may be
impossible. Pick a day that suits your circumstances before
January 1; stand down before you begin to think about your
New Year's Resolutions. What are you going to do differently
next year? Are you going to make more money, look more
beautiful, weigh less, learn more.... First things first.
Choose to live in an attitude of kindness and love. Take
charge of your life and be an instrument of change.

Jo Condrill is a best-selling author, consultant, and
professional speaker. Her book Take Charge of Your Life:
Dare to Pursue Your Dreams, presents a process for making
life work the way you want it to. It's a great resource for
developing your New Year's Resolutions and goal setting.
Http://www.goalminds.com/takecharge.html