Christmas Eve, Shirley MacLaine and Caesar Salad

That pretty much sums up my previous 24 hours. I read a book by Shirley MacLaine called Going Within. It was pretty interesting, though by way of gentle criticism I'd say this somewhat points to the problem with the New Age movement- not that they're 'evil', or corrupting youth, or anything like that. Rather, they tend to be a bit naive. This is, for many people, new territory, and they tend to latch on to any authority figure and believe anything they say. Again, this is not a criticism, just human nature. As a Tarot reader, I've seen this happen to my own self- people seem to think I've got a direct line to the divine (hey that rhymed). I feel obligated to point out, no more or less than anyone else, just I've spent a good deal of time and effort studying these things. And as a result, I can help out other people, and life is good. But Ms. MacLaine makes some good points, and you can kind of boil them down to a kind of core of philosophy:

-Balance is important; keep yourself balanced in all areas of life, and you'll see improvements. This isn't a passive process, rather, one must actively seek out and understand themselves and the world within and around them.

-Chakras are important. Chakras are the Hindu (I think) word for wheel, and refer to centers or pools of the energy that flows through the body. What this energy is is kind of speculated upon- my guess would be a combination of electrochemical, electro-neural, radiation and light. Understanding the way energy flows through the body seems to be helpful. (Yes, living things do light up, it's called bioluminescense, though human and most animal eyes can't detect these frequencies of light).

- To a large extent, perspective determines experience. We can look at something as a major pain in the ass, or as a learning experience. There's also a good deal of a call to internalize these things- why is this thing in my life? What lessons am I supposed to learn from it?

- Love is a governing principle of the universe, but not as most people understand it. It's not kind of warm-fuzzy love, rather a driving, powerful force that not only governs the universe but guides and rules the order of the universe. Sometimes stern and fearsome, we can rest assured that things are there to teach us, and make us better people, for lack of a better term. Think of it as an antidote to chaos and disharmony.

- Each person fits into this greater whole; thus each person has a kind of life-path to follow. This is their personal journey, and though not always pleasant, at least seemingly so, this path ultimately serves this greater order of the universe.

This is kind of an in-a-nutshell summation, but looking at the various aspects of New Age philosophy covered in this book, they seem to all hold these common threads. So as a result of this, one thing I found curious was a sense of self...importance? Ability? I'm not sure of the exact word here. It's not exactly being filled with a sense of how awesome I am, not at all. Rather, it's kind of a recognition that I have abilities, perspectives and talents other people don't. By the same token, other people can do things I can't do, so what's the sum total of this? That I should use those talents. I used to kind of feel like it was egotistical of me to think that I could really make a difference, help people and change the world. Then I realized, it's actually more egotistical and self- centered not to use those talents! It's kind of saying, I know better than anyone else, and I'm really not that special. (Well, honestly I'm really not that special, but you know what I mean). It kind of seems like there's some sense here of purpose, though to be honest, I don't fully grasp it. Well, no one ever said things are always obvious, and sometimes we have to dig for meaning.
Apart from that, the shift went well, keeping an eye on the barracks for 24 hours, apart from the 1 or 2 hours I was sleeping. I was called Sergeant on three separate occasions, which was kind of funny. One because the sergeant who had the shift with me had left his jacket with rank on it on one side of the desk, so people coming up to me seated at the desk assumed it was mine. Not yet, and my last name isn't likely to change anytime soon. Rank, well, that's another story. So go out there, whatever holiday you celebrate, and however you celebrate it, and enjoy! Remember to hang onto the good in your life, and the things that are worth saving in your world- the unimportant things have a tendency to pass away, the important things are those that stick around.