In the Declaration of Independence, we read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The ink that would soon turn blood red and now flowed black from Thomas Jefferson’s pen did not write: We hope these truths are obvious.

To its credit, there is not a single utterance of hope or any other passive word in this magical document that the Founding Fathers bestowed upon posterity. 

Remember what the master from India said: “It is better to live in fulfillment than in hope.”

While it’s wonderful to single out a special day for your mother, don’t forget that every day is your Mother’s Day.

If you truly love your mother and you let her know that you do in meaningful ways, you are in store for a great gift. Although I can’t tell you what your gift will be, I know from firsthand experience that it will be awesome.

Now, is a good time to set your inner clock to chime with good news for this New Year—let it be a world of adventure and peace with limitless appreciation for art, and no place for hate.

I keep the following information in mind and heart every day.

Thoughts are like powerful x-rays that can travel light years instantly. Thoughts can pass through most any object, and an over exposure of negative ones will harm living matter. Remember, you are harboring the thought, the thought has no power if you are not a coconspirator. 

Wild Strawberries: a 1957 film by Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman

Every artist needs to see this cinematic masterpiece.

Bergman’s movie is essentially a road picture about disillusionment and redemption that will be with you forever. 

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You are immediately assessed by what type of car you drive—and that’s not only in Los Angeles where cars are worn like jewelry.

I certainly appreciate the mobility my car gives me, but advertisers would like you to believe you can buy freedom in a hot set of wheels. We’ve all seen those commercials. Since you’re really buying large monthly payments, do you feel liberated from angst, or only your money?

Being judged by our possessions is as ancient as our earliest ancestors. Have we learned anything at all in 5,000 years of history? If you were suddenly stripped of all your goodies, who would you be? Have you invested in the core of your own self, or are you a by-product of what you presently own, rent, or lease?

Think about it, but not for too long.