Tis the season to be jolly, go to parties and have a blast.  This is also the time we generally start to think about New Year’s resolutions.  Let’s see what are the common one:  Stop smoking, stop drinking, be nice to people, eat less and exercise more.
This year, I have chosen a less dominant path.  Live in abundance.  I mean, let go of some social mores and do what comes naturally until I get sick of it.  Some people say that the more you embrace decadence the less you want it.  We’ll see!  I’m hoping this opens up new possibilities for me including future employment or maybe even a new relationship.  All the while, I will be sure that my living in abundance behavior isn’t self-destructive but productive and valuable.

See you on the party circuit!  Happy Holidays everyone!

Ok. So the origin of this small but powerful act/thing/practice for me is from my childhood. My parents in their infinite wisdom would say to me, “How do you know you don’t like it until you try it? Have a ‘no, thank you’ helping. Then tell me you don’t like it.” Powerful indeed because I was forced into trying anything and everything they made. That’s how I discovered I hate cherry tomatoes but LOVED string beans. Later in life I discovered that I love grape tomatoes which look so similar to cherry tomatoes one might think they taste the same. But no, looks can be deceiving of course.

It’s a practice you can apply to everything in life. Are you having trouble being honest with someone? Decide for an instant that you will be honest with them in a “no, thank you” helping size. It makes the theory of taking baby steps easier and more fun.

Many years ago while I was working for a photo studio I had the pleasure of a having a sushi lunch with two of the photographers we represented. Lunch with two of the photographers at the same time didn’t happen very often but we were collaborating on the pre-production of a very complicated event. It was lunchtime, we needed a break.
At this sushi lunch, one of them decided it would be fantastic idea for me to try Quail eggs. I agreed. What did I know about Quail eggs? I thought perhaps they would even be topped with a dab of spicy sauce and yummy row.

Of course, I was taken aback when the small plate arrived with the Quail egg jiggling inside it’s seaweed coat. I stared at it for a few moments. My lunch companions “egged” me on until I finally picked up the delicacy carefully. I didn’t want to spill a drop. I popped it in my mouth fast. And two seconds later, trying desperately not to regurge at the table spit it out in a napkin. My two companions were laughing hysterically and ever since they have never let me forget that moment.