If ever there were a New Year's resolution to stand by, it would be for those of us in the U.S. to stop vilifying other countries and people. Of course I wish the same for other people in other countries to do the same, especially in regards to us, but since this is my home, I'll speak to you directly.

What is vilification? Vilification is when you take a being or collective of beings and turn them into an enemy icon. This is easy to do when the other party is vilifying you also. However, I grew up believing, and now being old enough to know for certain, that this country is the most dominant on this planet. Now, dominance is not necessarily a positive, but dominance does imply a certain responsibility. If we as a nation are to take the leadership role then we must be true leaders. Let us lead into the New Year by understanding those who hate or detest us. This will not only give us the advantage, but also reduce our level of stress. If you look at someone or some event as not being personal it will be easier to move on when it passes, and easier to deal with the situation as there will be no lingering emotion towards it.

There ya go. Make the resolution to look at those who anger and upset you as a gust of wind. Do what you must to protect yourself but let it pass by when it stops.

Do you get mad at a gust of wind?