Happy New Year To All

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. —Bill Vaughn

I want to take the time to extend best wishes to all in 2005!

Happy New Year to all my good friends and family!

New Year’s Eve was very good for me. I played at First Night San Diego at the Embarcadero near Seaport Village. It was cold and damp out there but it didn’t rain on us. Our opening band got rained out, unfortunately.

Anyways, I had a great night playing music and had a good drum solo and felt really good overall. My wife and two sons were there and I thank them for their support and just for being there so that we could all be together for New Years.

What’s nice about celebrating the New Year is that we can have a clean slate, and carry our hope with us into the New Year. Otherwise, it could be just another day. So, I see the benefit of being able to celebrate on New Year’s Eve. Plus, it’s just… exciting.

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. —Benjamin Franklin

I was going to list down all my New Year’s Resolutions, but just wanted to keep things simple. That I simply want to continue to grow and improve my world and to do my best to be there for those around me, both online and in real life.

One thing I have learned in 2004 was forgiveness, both to myself and those around me. Many people might not see just how important it is to have a forgiving attitude and mindset. It is one of the truly essential ingredients to having peace of mind.

Another thing I learned in 2004 that I will surely carry on into 2005 is my Yoga Practice. I have dabbled with Yoga over the years but never really took it very seriously. I guess it is because I see the positive changes within me by doing Yoga on a daily basis… seeing my body, mind and spirit transforming.

I don’t have any regrets in 2004. I think learning to forgive myself was a major factor. I’m not too hard on myself any more, but it doesn’t mean I won’t have any goals. The goals are always to become a better person on many levels. We are learning new things every day. I could easily say to myself, “now why didn’t I think of this a long time ago?”, but now I know it doesn’t matter.

Like James Taylor said in his song, “the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time”.

It’s all about living within the moment. Yesterdays have come and gone, and The Future is always a moment ahead… living DIRECTLY within the moment is the place to be. I sort of knew this but I couldn’t really comprehend it until not too long ago. There is a difference between knowing it and feeling it, most definitely.

There is wisdom that is present all around us each and every day in the simplest of things… the most profound knowledge that could completely transform us… I think I sometimes feel I have an inkling as to what it is. Maybe I might not understand it until years down the road. Perhaps I never will.

But, one of the secrets to life is to truly appreciate the journey and not worry too much about the destination…

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time…