And people stand up and shout, but what they seem to most shout is, "Where is everyone who should be protesting this?"

When you are the hated one, for whatever reason, maybe it is your gender, orientation, religion, ethnicity or any one of the myriad of details people use to call someone else less-than remember that it is your voice and your voice alone that can speak for you. Don't waste it on screaming at someone who is silent, use it instead for someone who has been silenced. The greatest weapon in overcoming hatred is to chose not to hate or be angry, but to expect. Act with expectation. Stand tall with dignity. Cry out to correct. 

And remember that, especially for women, you are not alone in your struggle. We may not always hear each other's voices, but we are calling out together. And together we will bring change.

That no matter how crazy the world seems, it has been that way for thousands of years and given us some of the kindest and compassionate people and memories.

That for no matter how hopeless our situations may seem, they will change if we are willing to let go of what we wish they would be.

That for no matter how dark the day, it is in choosing to open our eyes that we see rain.

And rain....always passes, 

Leaving something new nourished behind.

But don't think you have to do it all yourself. Part of being able to see opportunity is to recognize when someone else holds a key to yours. Your tasks may be of help in making someone else's easier and they may hold something that you can use to go even further then you would alone. Look for the people who can join in their dream because it holds an element to their own and your combined passion will carry you both forward.

It is easy to fall into the trap of spending energy on providing assurances and explanations to people who have no capacity to support us or help us in achieving our goals. The question we forget to ask is, "Will this person help me? Can they help me?" Instead, a kind of guilt/shame comes into play and we feel like we have to justify our efforts. 

Not everyone needs an explanation. Not everyone in your life is capable of offering you support and help. Learning which people in your life need this kind of energy from you will help prevent you from becoming drained or open yourself up to comments and criticism from people for whom your life is a spectator sport. 

Take the time to identify who in your life is as interested in you doing well that they are willing to give of their energy too. Then, consider whether or not you are equally willing to spend time being supportive of them as well. 

Where is your sacred space? And how do you find yourself when you have gone missing? In this new year, so many of us are reaching for peace, stability, security, love and safety. Yet we cannot overlook the need to develop and maintain our sense and interaction with what it is that is sacred.

You can discover what is sacred to you by thinking upon the things that make you feel whole and full. For some it is their religious faith, for others it is giving or nature or any one of a million forms of expression that we can find that in return, help us find ourselves.

In your home, consider creating a small area that is a “sacred space.” It can be as simple as a picture of your pet, or a collection of photos of your family, or a religious icon – whatever it is that is a physical symbol of the sacred to you. Make it a habit to sit and be in your sacred space. Use these moments to center yourself and return to yourself. Return to yourself within the embrace of something larger than your life. Make this a habit and you shall go gracefully forward into a new year of change and hope.

I recommend, before you listen, that you grab a candle, a little incense and create a quiet area where you can sit comfortably and be undisturbed while you listen and perform the exercise.

Contemplative prayer is a tradition in almost every belief system. From the Buddhists to the Christians to the Muslims to people with no belief in a Universal Power or God but who engage in meditative processes. Prayer, after all, is a form of meditation – just a more directed one than many other types.

Lectio Divina is a Latin term for the practice of using sacred texts for divine guidance. It is the core aspect of Contemplative Prayer. You read a passage (or several) slowly and when a word or phrase pops out and grabs your attention, you use that as a kind of “mantra” for the meditation. Repeat the word or phrase over and over in your mind as you sit still and slow your breathing. Allow the phrase to drive all other thoughts from your mind. During the course of a contemplative prayer session, there is usually a kind of revelation that occurs as to why that word or that phrase was so important to you now.

For people who have tried meditation but been unsuccessful in quieting their minds down to nothingness, contemplative prayer is a good way to begin. The directed nature of it, the intuitive response to the reading all help to make it an accessible form of meditation for all. More advanced practitioners enjoy it as it helps them to integrate an exploration of their spirituality and beliefs into their meditation practice.

Tune in and try it out. It is a great habit to start in the beginning of this New Year.

c.2012. Cassandra Tribe. All Rights Reserved.

One of the horrible things about the Internet is that we have so much information and news that we get overwhelmed and don't pay attention to what is important in that endless stream in input.

Here is one thing - it is scientifically proven that all of us experience a dip in energy in the early afternoon. That is usually when we reach for caffeine or sugar, then get grumpy and start to become stressed. 

As we start the new year, perhaps we should take this into account and take 10 minutes a day in the afternoon to turn off the input, relax, maybe power nap and give ourselves a little rejuvenating love in the afternoon. Instead of trying to get through, stop and recharge. 

What is it that represents to you the dual nature of what is possible and impossible? It is like running into an obstacle or problem, it is both what stops us and what presents us with an opportunity that was not available before. Knowing what your personal symbol and mythology is for this kind of dual presence will help you to regain control in your life because it will allow you to take anything happening around you and put it into a personal perspective. 

Perhaps this coming year is the year you should consider coming to know your own personal stories and myths. It will help explain the mysteries of the world to you.

Each celebration/holiday has two meanings - the individual and the community. Sometimes the individual has a small community that shares the same beliefs and that is a source of comfort. Sometimes, we are alone in what we believe the importance of the day to be.

But if we look outward to our larger communities, we can begin to recognize the day as a means of marking time communally. The day has a meaning that exists socially as a way of creating a shared milestone. That shared milestone is important because it gives us common ground in a sometimes very diverse culture. 

No matter what you believe, do not forget to acknowledge that recognized holidays are a way of creating a shared experience with others. It is from shared experiences, having the same point in time to mark our lives, that we can begin to communicate with each other about other issues and to connect.

Where once there was only seperation, now we are given a common starting point.

It is as if we join in a celebration in which we are not allowed to attend. Thomas Merton said, "What benefit us if we can travel to the moon and have yet to discover how to cross the abyss between ourselves?"

This year, consider making your celebrations about being right where you are, which is right where you are needed to be and the let all the rest of it go. Dress your present up in its finery as what it is and enjoy it, enjoy your life. Give yourself permission to be in the moment with joy.