01-01-01

Happy New Year! 

This is a special day and I want to share it with you and with the rest of my friends. Several days ago I realised that today--the first day of the first month of the first year of a new century--would be a very special date: 01-01-01. For some years now, as I have updated the training manuals I design, I have dated each revision on a day of the month that matches the number of the month, such as 10-10-97 or 12-12-00. This way the date reads the same for people who put the day first and people who put the month first. So today's date was too good to miss. 

I am sending this message to everyone in my email address list. The list ranges from Austria to Zimbabwe, from Canada to Kazakhstan. The people range from childhood friends to participants on my latest training course. As some of you know, in December I usually send out the Learnings newsletter and a greeting for the holiday. This year I'm a bit behind. Learnings will come out at the end of January. (And by the way, if you've moved or if you did not get the Learnings newsletter last year, please send me your mailing address so I can be sure you are in the updated database. Thanks!) 

But right now I do want to send holiday greetings to each of you. 

Last night, Rosemary and I went to a New Year's Eve party here in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, with our friends Marianne and Anthony. At the party we were befriended by Anna, a five-year-old Russian girl. Her energy and enthusiasm made us think of Lily, our five-month-old granddaughter. As we played with Anna, our own energy and enthusiasm grew--just as it does when we play with Lily. Rosemary looked at me and said I was showing "grandfather energy" as the love and caring and encouragement poured out of me. 

That seems like a good energy--grandparent energy--for us all to be sharing with each other as this new year begins. I love the story of the two generals--one Russian and one American--who were in charge of implementing one of the arms reduction treaties. After some tough talking at first, they discovered they each had grandchildren. The next day they each brought photos of the grandchildren. Each day they sat down with the photos of those grandchildren on the table--to remind them of what they were doing and who they were doing it for. 

My vision of this new year and new century beginning today on 01-01-01 is that each of us will let our grandparent energy flow out into the world. We will let flow the grandparent energy that brings peace, joy, safety, and love to all the children of this beautiful planet. 

Best wishes to you for a good year, 

Walt