Dear Reader,
Our minds are altered or adjusted every day as we explore new worlds and the characters residing within. We meet someone hailing from a country we haven’t visited, who teaches us a new and noble purpose, one we had not known before. In some way the mind undergoes a paradigm shift – all for the good. This can happen only if we are open to climbing to a higher level of being. Once we understand something new and are enlightened by it, our past ways of seeing, thinking, and judging are no longer relevant. We constantly strive to shed the old skins to perfect all the imperfections inherent with being human: there’s always a better version of ourselves, like a new robe ready to try on.

When life is hard, some choose another path to alter the mind. Alcohol, drugs, and other tempting crutches can pull us back to the lumps of clay we once were. These are two distinct doors that because of free will, we control. One can rationalize either decision, but it is important to think it over carefully. It’s a choice that we ourselves make and ultimately have to live with. Joys and sorrows are a part of each direction. Ultimately it comes down to choosing how we want to live our lives, and to being true to who we are and who we want to become. Once we make the choice, it is time to pull out the compass and head out on the journey.

Patrick J. Wood
Publisher