Each New Year, one of the first resolutions you read about is the “after the holiday diet” to shed those excessive pounds. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could eat to our hearts desire….but eventually we realize there is a price to pay for eating the wrong kinds of foods. One of the largest selling topics in the book world is the diet book. People spend large sums of money to take care of their physical appearance…no amount is too great for the perfect physique in a world where you can never be too thin. It’s everywhere…magazines, television, etc., telling us all how to look, how to dress…practically how to smile! But one thing is missing from all these suggestions …….how to “think.”

The greatest asset we have is our mind. How we develop our minds has an incredible affect on our quality of life. Our habits, jobs, education and role models have a profound affect on who we become. Where there is abuse of the mind, there is abuse of the soul. One of the worst crimes that a person can commit is to stop somebody from growing. We build prisons to lock people away physically, but how many people are imprisoned in dysfunctional families and abusive relationships? Yes, there are television programs and books on addictions, phobias, and family relationships, but how do all these problems begin? Two of the most important and hardest jobs in life is that of Mother and Father. They set up the structure of the family. They are the planters of the seeds that are to blossom and bear fruit. How do they learn to be parents? From their parents, of course. Everything works well if the structure is healthy…but once it is invaded by infection, if help is not administered to heal the wound the disease progresses. For example, alcoholism and drug abuse have been known to run havoc through families. These families have found that to them this is the best way to deal with pain. Growing up we’re all influenced by our friends, and communities. The family, for many of us, becomes the last line of defense. The stronger the family, the stronger the defense.

This week whether you’re a mother, father, sister or brother ask yourself, “What way can I make my family stronger?” In your marriage, friendships, and other relationships, also ask, “How can I help the communication and growth become better?” If you are being abused, seek help. You deserve better than that in life.

All of us have a responsibility to monitor and observe what we let into our minds, and those of our children, because eventually it becomes a part of who we are tomorrow. Develop your own filtering system…what’s “cool” and “hip” may not necessarily be good for you or your kids. Many times, unfortunate situations can be avoided if caught early. I’m all for freedom of speech, but it ultimately falls on each one of us on whether we accept an opinion or disagree with it. As we all know, we can hear a lousy song on the radio but after fifty million times of hearing it, it starts to sound “okay.”

Take the time,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1999 Jennifer Avalon