Our New Year can begin our personal time of soulful reflection. This is where true healing begins. The spirit of well-being is the opposite of the spirit of ill-being. We see this play of opposites in the tales related by every culture on earth. Americans are familiar with the God vs. Satan analogy. We become conscious of our ability to choose between good and evil. However, we learn that these labels are determined by our particular family and cultural teachings. Conflicts can occur based on our actual experiences and our levels of re-education. Resolution of conflicts can be carefully taught so that we arrive at a jointly negotiated shared agreement. What is considered good for one part of society can be very bad for another, based on perceptions, definitions, and generally accepted agreements. The rest falls between the cracks and becomes frustrated. These dropouts generate illness.

When we disagree with a decision, we need to examine how and why it is reached. How much input did our perceptions impact a decision? Who is blindly hurt by an outcome? How does tradition, that served a more basic existence, become a disservice as we evolve to a more knowledgeable level of understanding? Are attitudes of revenge and retaliation helpful or hurtful in their boomerang effect? Can Understanding be a healthy effect of re-education?

In our evolving need to understand and choose healthy alternatives, where are you in your soulful process of development?