As I go into this new year of 2009, I am annoyingly full of gratitude and peace of mind. 2008 was a big year on many fronts, a few being… Alex came home from Iraq in tact; Teagan Jade came into the world; my brother is back; I revived some distant family connections; moved (again), but wow it’s cool; baby Zander Alex was created, and I finally saw Madonna in concert…. oh, and I got to pet a Cheetah in South Africa! (See below for details on this amazing experience)

Glass half full… I was at a Chamber Mixer earlier this month and my banker was talking about how fortunate he was to run a successful business with a happy group of employees and contribute to his community…  and how great his life was right now, even in light of the scary economy.

He related that he was definitely a glass-half-full guy and told a story about a recent golf game where he hooked a drive that landed in front of a big tree. His immediate reaction was, “ok, let’s go… let’s rock this tree!” And his golf mate’s reaction was, “oh, shit, you’re never going to clear that tree!”

I’ve heard this expression a gazillion times, but it seemed to stick right now. Ever since that conversation, I have been judging observed behavior, mine and others, with old-school Olympic scorecards in my brain that say GHF and GHE. Negative comment… flip… GHE! It kind of goes hand in huge-pop-success-glove with The Secret’s basic mantra of recalibrating the way you think… to be positive and attract positive. It’s hard work to habituate thinking that way, but well worth the effort because it can only make you a better person.

What’s Up For 2009? (If you write your goals in cyberspace and no one reads them, do they still make a sound?)

30,000 feet…
- Reduce clut·ter n: 1. an untidy collection of objects, 2. a condition of disorderliness or overcrowding, 3. images on a radar screen that hinder observation
I like #3 because clutter in my life induces overwhelm on my radar, which hinders my observation!

- Eliminate things that make me feel bad: i.e. volunteering feels good – not being able to keep commitments feels bad, simplify to give more.

- Feel joy and appreciate my life of abundance!

I won’t bore you with all my detailed goals, just the travel plans!
Must have tickets!
Las Vegas, So. Cal, Seattle, and Bordeaux, France (with add-ons of Portugal, Spain, and Italy, of course!)

Here’s wishing you peace and laughter in the New Year!

Katherine Zimmer
Per Caso Productions

Cheetah Outreach is an education and community-based program created to raise awareness of the plight of the cheetah, campaign for its survival, and reinforce the role they play in the culture by ensuring school kids get access to them. 

Read more HERE

Photos:
Above two: Joseph, a 6 year-old male. His purring is so loud! Everyone stays on one knee in case he decides he’s had enough human contact. Read more about Joseph on his web site…. and “MOM, he’s touching me!” - Two cubs lounge and bathe in the afternoon sun.