Tax-cutting time is ticking away

Check your tax situation before it's too late to act

1. PROGRAM YOUR DAY:  At the beginning of the day (or any event) see it going smoothly and effortlessly.  When you reprogram your thought patterns, you begin to draw to you the things that you need.  It seems magical, but "Any sufficiently advanced technology is usually indistinguishable from magic." (anon)   Write the script for your day, see yourself beautiful, happy, easily accepted and hold the feelings.  You will be amazed.
   
   
2. PRIORITIZE EVENTS AND EFFORTS:  Make a list of all potential holiday events and activities.  Which ones bring you most joy?  Most Peace?  Most return on your time and energy investment?  Saying "NO" to things is not going away from those you love or respect, it is an act of personal power.  You'll have much more to give when you are fully centered, poised and present.  You will be giving yourself and the world a precious gift...You.
   
   
3. MAKE A LIST:  This really helps to un-clutter your mind and keeps you on track.  Include time slots for rest and for fun.  Build in 15 minutes every 3-4 hours for unexpected things like phone calls, store jaunts, or just seeing a friend you didn't expect. 
   
   
4. OUT-SOURCE:  Your most precious resource is your time and feeling nature.  When you actually look at the amount of time you spend on a task, you may be surprised that your hourly rate might be less than minimum wage.  Decide what you really, really love to do, do that and delegate...once and for all and let it go.  You might be surprised how well things actually do go.
   
   
5. KEEP LUXURY TIME AND FUN ON YOUR PRIORITY LIST:  Every day schedule and do something that will enliven your Spirit.  (after all, it's not called the "Rat Race of Christmas"...).   A warm cup of your favorite tea, saying NO to that extra load of laundry, looking for the morning star, smiling at yourself in the mirror.  Schedule some corn-y old fun: I guarantee you you'll have memories that make you smile.
   
   
6. Lighten it Up!:   Bringing light into the darkness of Winter is what this time of year celebrates. Even if you don't decorate, bring out the candles and a few twinkles, or sit by a nice warm fire.  Soft, gentle light is what is most beneficial this season.   
   
   
7. Feng Shui Tips:  
   ~ Keep the knives out of sight and remove the carving knives from dinner table; this will help keep arguments to a minimum.  
   ~ A round or oval dining table gives the best energy for an enjoyable dinner. 
   ~ Soften a square or rectangular table with a dining cloth.
   ~ Limit the amount of red THIS holiday, with all the extra emotional fire flying around, opt for soft gold, glowing blues or rich greens. 
   ~  Allow for breathing room:  when adding your decor or any gifts, remove whatever else you can.  Patty Kraemer, of Kraemer Connect suggests:  "one thing in, and two things out!"  Clear all last year's clutter, donate all you can't or don't use, leave some things empty and open.  This will bring freshness and more light into your entertaining.
   
   
8. REFLECT:  As each year comes to a close, it's always helpful to take some time to slow down, look back and evaluate.  Look back with gentle compassion; be soft, kind and clear.  Ask yourself some good questions:  What was I trying to accomplish this year and did I do that?  What did I do best this year?  How did I feel when I was true to myself?  What worked well?  What do I want to say in 2009 about how 2008 went for me? Creating Your Dreams Workbook.
   

 You are the expert in your life:  did you have fun?

It's a silent but deadly source of greenhouse gases that contributes more to global warming than the entire world transportation sector, yet politicians almost never discuss it, and environmental lobbyists and other green activist groups seem unaware of its existence.

That may be because it's tough to take cow flatulence seriously. But livestock emissions are no joke.

Most of the national debate about global warming centers on carbon dioxide, the world's most abundant greenhouse gas, and its major sources -- fossil fuels. Seldom mentioned is that cows and other ruminants, such as sheep and goats, are walking gas factories that take in fodder and put out methane and nitrous oxide, two greenhouse gases that are far more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Methane, with 21 times the warming potential of CO2, comes from both ends of a cow, but mostly the front. Frat boys have nothing on bovines, as it's estimated that a single cow can belch out anywhere from 25 to 130 gallons of methane a day.

It isn't just the gas they pass that makes livestock troublesome. A report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization identified livestock as one of the two or three top contributors to the world's most serious environmental problems, including water pollution and species loss. In terms of climate change, livestock are a threat not only because of the gases coming from their stomachs and manure but because of deforestation, as land is cleared to make way for pastures, and the amount of energy needed to produce the crops that feed the animals.

All told, livestock are responsible for 18% of greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide, according to the U.N. -- more than all the planes, trains and automobiles on the planet. And it's going to get a lot worse. As living standards rise in the developing world, so does its fondness for meat and dairy. Annual per-capita meat consumption in developing countries doubled from 31 pounds in 1980 to 62 pounds in 2002, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, which expects global meat production to more than double by 2050. That means the environmental damage of ranching would have to be cut in half just to keep emissions at their current, dangerous level.

It isn't enough to improve mileage standards or crack down on diesel truck emissions, as politicians at both the state and national levels are working to do. Eventually, the United States and other countries are going to have to clean up their agricultural practices, while consumers can do their part by cutting back on red meat.
A University of Chicago study examined the average American diet and found that all the various energy inputs and livestock emissions involved in its production pump an extra 1.5 tons of CO2 into the air over the course of a year, which would be avoided by a vegetarian diet. Thus, the researchers found, cutting out meat would do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than trading in a gas guzzler for a hybrid car.