Sayonara, Simon!

I don't know about you, but I love the new panel of judges on this season of American Idol. There is such a happy, genuine feeling surrounding the show this year - and we all know how much I love happy, genuine feelings! Not only is the panel positive, but it is filled with true expertise from decades of experience in the field of the performing arts. If my intuition is accurate, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, are going to make a fabulous trio.

Personally, I am in awe that Jennifer agreed to do the show. In my eyes, she is one of the biggest superstars of our time. For the first time, an american idol is actually a judge on American Idol. During the premier of the show last week, I felt star-struck by her presence - even though I was sitting at home in my living room. I think she is one very big reason as to why the show will remain a success, regardless of Simon's absence from the show. And, in my opinion, she looks more beautiful than she ever has.

Not only is Randy the only original judge remaining on the panel, but he has been upgraded to Simon's chair - otherwise known as the final word. Although, I am not sure if he really has the final world since Jennifer and Steven seem to snag the spotlight. Randy does serve a very valuable purpose, though. Being the only veteran, he knows that you can't say "yes" to everybody. Everyone on the judges panel seems be level-headed about the whole process, but it is clear that Steven and Jennifer are more compassionate to the contestants and their touching stories. Someone has to be the voice of reason, and this year that voice comes from Randy.

And now I make my way to Mr. Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith. I have always loved Aerosmith's music, but now we get to better know their frontman - and he is an honest-to-goodness hoot. There is no one quite like him, which makes it fun to see what he will say next. He adds comedy, spontaneity and individuality to the panel. One of my favorite things about him is that he oftentimes starts singing and drumming along to the songs the contestants are singing. We surely haven't seen that before!

I have nothing against the original judges. They were a huge contribution in taking the show to where it is today. The long and short of it all is that I don't miss the old judges panel. I always appreciated Simon's professional and honest feedback, but sometimes it was just plain brutal. Paula had to overcompensate for Simon's harsh comments, and would usually just comment on the contestants appearance. People loved to hate Simon, but now I think they will love to love the new judges. I believe that the producers of this show have finally achieved the balance that America can relate to and appreciate. Instead of having to battle extremities, as Simon and Paula were, we have a judges panel that are all striving toward the same goal.

The reason I have written about the new judges panel on American Idol is because I have a feeling that it is going to be more successful than it ever has been - even though Simon will no longer be a part of it. Why is that something worth writing about? I am sure a majority of their viewers believed that the show would be nothing without him, without a brutally honest and sometimes cynically sensational character, crushing the dreams of many hopefuls. Thankfully, that does not look like it is going to be the case. There does not always have to be some negative spin in order to up the entertainment value or draw a bigger crowd. I am excited for the new season, and grateful for a breath of fresh air. (Picture provided by: cliqueclack.com.)

Think, Think, Think...

What do you think about in a day? No, really. What thoughts are harboring in your consciousness? Since it is impossible to stop thinking, we must always be thinking something. And if we are constantly thinking, those thoughts are either good or bad. I believe that how we think and what we think about has a lot to do with our outcomes and experience in life.

One thing that I am personally working on is keeping my thoughts in check with how I want to live. If I want to live a positive life, I should stop thinking negative thoughts. But, how do I stop myself from thinking negative thoughts when it is clear that negative things happen daily?

It is important to discern the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. But once we have made that distinction, we decide which avenue we want to go down in our own consciousness. Taking the right path, or the positive path, is proactive, problem-solving, and efficient. The wrong path, or negative path, is counterproductive, useless, and frustrating. Essentially, I am referring to the classic metaphor of the glass being either half full or half empty.

It is practically impossible to think only good thoughts. I assure you I am not living in a dream world. But wouldn't that be a wonderful goal? To fix your thought so that it would always keep moving you forward, rather than in reverse or stuck at a stagnant state, would be a wise goal for everyone. Whenever we attempt to do this, there will be obvious differences - for the better - in our lives.

It seems like some people love living in negativity. When joy surrounds them, they would rather it wouldn't. Maybe it is amusing to complain all of the time, or point out the bad in everything, but I think it is a terrible rut they have gotten themselves into.

But, look at what I am doing. I am putting these people in a negative light. If I think of them as negative, that means they can have a negative impact on my consciousness. I certainly don't want to be affected by other's negativity. What I should always try to establish for these people is to know that they have the freedom and same access to good that I have. I shouldn't hold them captive to misery in my own thought. If I free myself from their bad thoughts, I am also freeing them from their bad thoughts.

We shouldn't put limitations on ourselves or others. If it is obvious that we only think or act a certain way because of the people in our lives or our circumstances, we should challenge if that really is the right way to think. Sometimes it is very difficult to leave a negative state of thinking for the positive, because the positive way seems much more difficult. It is well known that the right way is rarely the easy way.

I hope what I have written today makes sense. It is difficult to write about abstract things, such as thoughts, but I believe this is an extremely important concept to explore. Let's keep our thoughts in check, and be unafraid to put off limitations and go forward in the new year.