| Still feeling a pang of guilt because last year's | | | | giving becomes an integral part of our being. Just |
| resolutions did not make it past Valentine's Day? | | | | as that old water pump on the farm yielded as |
| Perhaps those resolutions never stood a chance | | | | much water as desired after it was primed, a life |
| because you did not prime the pump first! Let me | | | | that exudes love, abundance and joy, draws |
| explain. | | | | more of the same qualities. |
| Most of us are looking for similar things in life: | | | | This year, instead of making the same old New |
| more time, love, joy, and quality of life. What we | | | | Year resolutions, perhaps it would be more |
| sometimes forget, is that we first need to prime | | | | meaningful to prime the pump with the very |
| the pump in order to get what we want. | | | | qualities you would like to see more of in your life! |
| On my grandfather's farm was a creaky old | | | | Here are some ideas to get you started. By |
| water pump. Before it would start drawing water | | | | practicing even just one of these principles |
| from the well, it had to be primed with a cup of | | | | consistently over time, you will find that life |
| water. As a child, I used to marvel at the | | | | returns to you a bountiful measure of the same. |
| mystery of it all - first pouring a cup of water | | | | 1. I treat everyone in my life with the love and |
| down the pump and then pumping the squeaky | | | | respect that I would receive from them. |
| lever up and down, up and down... until a small | | | | 2. I believe it is more important to be loving than |
| stream of water would start running from the | | | | to be right, and I apply this in my life daily. |
| spout. Once the stream started flowing, one could | | | | 3. I look for the beauty in every person and |
| fill up as many buckets with water as needed, | | | | everything that crosses my path. |
| and it all started with the simple act of priming the | | | | 4. I practice lovingkindness toward all sentient |
| pump with water first. | | | | beings. |
| The water pump would not yield water if I | | | | 5. I take steps to simplify my life so I can enjoy |
| primed it with rocks. It needed to be primed with | | | | more with less. |
| water - the same substance that I desired from | | | | 6. I find time to nurture my body, mind and soul, |
| it. In life it works the same way: we prime the | | | | even if it is only a few minutes each day. |
| pump of life with that which we contribute, and | | | | 7. I focus on what is right rather than what is |
| we attract that which we emanate. If we | | | | wrong. |
| emanate lack, we cannot attract abundance and if | | | | 8. I forgive those who have hurt me and let go |
| we emanate anger, we cannot attract love. | | | | of old wrongs so there may be peace on earth. 9. |
| Because like attracts like, we therefore need to | | | | I look for solutions, not for scapegoats. |
| first prime the pump by giving of that which we | | | | 10. I find and express gratitude in my life each |
| desire. | | | | day. |
| In the process, the very quality we focus on | | | | |