Poor Walter's Almanac

There are a lot of bad guys running the world. There are a lot of instances where it seems very clear that crime does pay. People are above the law. Justice is a figment of our imagination. Women love bad boys. We're not in Bedford Falls anymore. Does righteousness matter anymore? Does goodness have a place in our society anymore? Does truth matter? It should. We should look at the coming year and the rest of our lives, and contemplate how we want to live it, what we want to stand for, what we want to teach our children, what we want our legacy to be. Hopefully you will make the right choice and recognize that bad is bad and good is good. And that's that.

Being selfish is human nature. Having an ego which drives us to accomplish things in life, our self-interest tends to be paramount. And rightfully so. If we don't look out for ourselves, perhaps nobody will. But if we don't look out for others, what are we? Get out of yourself. Get out of your ego. Give generously to others in every way possible. Be of service to others as best you can. Ironically, the more you give, the better you will feel about yourself. There are some who say that the more you give, the more you will receive. In the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life" there is a quote from Peter Bailey: "All you can take with you is what you have given away."

As a lifelong Democrat, until recently, I think I am entitled to say that the Democratic Party has sunk to sociopathic levels with all the things they have done to our country and to its people over the last many years. The censorship. The lies. The corruption. The open borders. The lawlessness. The DEI/wokeness. It's all been contrary to common sense. It's all been evil disguised as good intentions. It's terribly sad that what was once, theoretically, a virtuous party, has become a party of fascism and corruption, masquerading as the good guys, and using the mainstream media to fool, brainwash and indoctrinate citizens to go along with policies that are not in their best interests but rather in the best interests of an elite, powerful, rich minority of individuals. It would be great if the party could resuscitate itself but I don't think that's possible. The brand has been destroyed. It needs to form a new party composed of ethical people in leadership roles. And while we're at it, we should add a few other parties as well. The two-party system has failed us.

Sadly, some people are depressed and unhappy during the holidays. For some, the holidays are anniversaries of major losses in their lives. For others, the holidays remind them what others have that they don't have. If you are one of these people, try to stay positive. Try not to dwell on your losses or what you don't have. Try to be grateful for what you do have despite what you don't have. Sometimes when we offer acts of kindness to others, when we help others, it gets us out of ourselves, out of our own problems and we feel better. Immerse yourself in joyful activities. Watch fun tv shows and movies. Watch "It's A Wonderful Life" or "A Christmas Carol" or the original "Die Hard" which some people think is the greatest Christmas movie ever. LOL. Be of good cheer. May the coming year bring blessings. Peace and love to you all!

Fighting does not tend to be unifying. Our job is to find ways to get along, not to fight. To challenge ideas we disagree with, not judge and emotionally assault people who don't want the same things we do. Democrats do not need to continue to fight. Now is the time to heal. Now is the time to try to find common ground. Now is the time to try to work together.

It wouldn't hurt and it could help if you spent a few minutes contemplating the meaning of life. Why are we here? Is it all a simple twist of fate and molecules?

Or do we have a purpose? Perhaps a divine purpose. Perhaps a soul purpose. Perhaps no purpose but to embrace the senses. Could that be?

Or are we here to learn about love and forgiveness? Are we here to embrace rage and vengeance, and grok how that feels?

Are we here to discover the value of good and evil? To elevate our consciousness? To serve our fellow travelers? To discover the true meaning of grace, gratitude and charity?

Do this exercise without judgment or expectation. You may discover surprising things about yourself. These ideas and the feelings they evoke may guide your future choices in unexpected ways.

Robert De Niro was an extremely vocal Trump hater. I don't have a problem with that. People are entitled to hate whoever they want to hate. But the thing is, our country does need to unify. Our country needs to stop being so judgmental and polarized.

Robert De Niro could be a major force for good. He could help our country heal. He could help bring people together by saying something like this: "Despite hating Trump and thinking he is the worst president we could ever have, he is our president. We need to unify behind him, and we have to hope that he will do good things for all of us. And that is why I am giving him my support and encourage other people to do so as well."

Step up, Bobby. I'm talking to you. Do the right thing.

The mind-body connection is extremely powerful. Your thoughts and feelings can be very stress-inducing and negatively affect your physical well-being.

Thoughts of guilt, shame, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, judgment, hatred, vengeance, and unforgiveness, can make it easier for you to get sick. They can make it harder for you to get well.

Think lovely thoughts. Look on the bright side. Look for blessings in disguise. Be grateful for what you have. Be positive, optimistic and hopeful despite the challenges you're facing. Help others. Forgive others. Love others. Love yourself. Forgive yourself.

If you're unhappy with your life right now, in this moment, it's your fault. You're doing it to yourself. You have options to see the world as your oyster or your prison, regardless of the slings and arrows that life throws you every day ad infinitum.

Consciousness is the key to releasing your sense of victimhood and your belief in scarcity, lack, and limitations, all of which nurture and feed self-recriminations, self-sabotage, and ultimate disempowerment, disappointment and unhappiness.

Using techniques to change your mind, elevates your consciousness, and expands your life options, leading to fulfillment as you define it for yourself.

Anger is not your friend. Anger may seem to be a very effective tool to impress people with how you feel, to intimidate people, to control people, to get your way, to get them to back off and back down. In the short run, it is seemingly effective. But in the long-run, it leaves scars everywhere.

 It's very manipulative. It's very toxic. It's very abusive. And the sad thing is that it isn't just bad for the people who you victimize when you are angry, it is also bad for yourself, for your soul, for your relationships in all aspects of your life, for your health because most certainly anger is a very stressful emotion that actually depresses your immune system and makes it easier for you to get sick and harder for you to get well.

You need to find ways to express yourself without losing your cool. You're trainable. You can learn to keep your mouth shut when you are angry and don't open it again until you are calm and able to articulate your needs without raising your voice.