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      <h3>Stand Down</h3>
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      <i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By: Jo Condrill<br>
      Posted: 2007-01-11 00:33:48</i>
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      Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!Whether you celebrate the birth of Christ, Chanukah, Kwanza, or something else, this is a time of year that has most of us rushing here and there to purchase something. There are gifts for loved ones--or business gifts--there is food to purchase and prepare--and perhaps even decorations and new clothes to buy. Merchants love this time of year!After all of this, we relax and enjoy the company of other people for perhaps a day or a week, and then we're off again on the next quest. You might say, "Such is life."What if we took some time to be alone. What if we stopped and listened to the silence. What if we thought about the meaning of love--how we experience it and how we express it.The news media daily tells us about war, murder in our own cities, sniping and hatred. Are we unable to change that course? What if for one day, we had a worldwide "stand- down," a temporary cessation or suspension of business as usual, and focused on what it means to love and be loved? To be kind and gentle? Military units and firefighters have stand-downs; veterans organizations have stand-downs for homeless veterans. Why can't ordinary citizens use a stand- down to stop fighting and hurting each other? What better time than this time of year?What a different world it would be if we stood down and focused on kindness and love. No child abuse, no bickering and back stabbing, no cheating. Impossible! Fantasy? Maybe so. But what if each one of us took one positive action to turn things around. Would it make a difference?If you could name a National Stand-Down Day for kindness and love, when would it be? World Peace Day would be a good beginning. But just days before Christmas, it may be impossible. Pick a day that suits your circumstances before January 1; stand down before you begin to think about your New Year's Resolutions. What are you going to do differently next year? Are you going to make more money, look more beautiful, weigh less, learn more.... First things first. Choose to live in an attitude of kindness and love. Take charge of your life and be an instrument of change.Jo Condrill is a best-selling author, consultant, and professional speaker. Her book Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams presents a process for making life work the way you want it to. It's a great resource for developing your New Year's Resolutions and goal setting. 
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