Second Day of Christmas: Devil

What gift do I have to give?
15-Devil-Hematite

Well, I have to confess, I had to think about this one for a while!  But I figured it out.  My gift to give is the awareness of when and how best to break the rules and transcend inhibitions.

I’m usually the first person to say that rules are rules for a reason.  Conventional morality is usually a good, if not perfect, guide to avoiding causing troubles for people, including ourselves.  But you don’t get to my age without realizing that following rules just because that’s what everyone does, or the way we’ve always done it, isn’t the best way to live a full life. 

And even more insidious than time-worn societal rules are self-imposed rules that no longer serve our best interests. 

So let the Devil tempt you to do something you never dared before.  I’m going to actively search for random opportunities to give the gift of encouraging joyful freedom and innocent self-expression in myself and others throughout the coming year. 

Let’s start now!  If you’ve always had short hair, grow it long, or vice versa!  Wear red!  Recite Dr. Seuss in the grocery store checkout line!  Kiss your boss on the cheek!  Eat dessert first!  Tell yourself how beautiful you are--and believe it!  Start writing the great American novel!  Or the best cookie recipe of all time!  Or feel good about giving up on an old, tired dream that you don’t really dream anymore.  Dare to be different!  Or the same!

These are my Christmas wishes for you.

The theme for December 27:

Third Day, December 27, Wisdom Day (Prudence).  This is the feast of John, the longest-lived of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, and the author of both the Gospel of John and Revelations, two of the most mystical books of the Bible.  The teachings of this wise old man have intrigued, inspired, and enlightened countless people for millennia.  What is my wisdom, and how can I share it?

I’ll post my reading on this tomorrow.

Merry Christmas!