Glad to see the year end?

As 2010 is coming to a close, I can’t help but think of not only my life this year, but others as well. For some  people there may be much nostalgia attached to this soon to be complete year. For others, the year has been an uphill battle and they are hoping that 2011 brings with it, more positive, harmonious and prosperous times.

Whatever this past year has brought to you (or taken away), there will never be another time exactly like this. There are always lessons to learn in every step of life. Sometimes the events that happen leave us wondering where the good is supposed to be. These are episodes in life that I have always been taught to think were things we weren’t supposed to understand. However, whatever has happened, it has helped someone, somewhere, somehow. This seems a nice way to think of things and quite frankly, the best way I know how to keep as positive as I possibly can.

Have you ever heard the saying “you will not be given anything you can not handle.” Did you ever notice how you thought you could never get through a challenging time, and you did? That is definitely food for thought.

As you look back through your 2010, I hope you can find the positive over the negative. If you have experienced a lot of challenge, I hope you look at yourself and the battle(s) you have endured and realize that you are stronger and better in some way for it. I hope you have more peace, more riches, more love and more laughter at the end of this year with more for 2011. A colleague of mine sent an email and one of the things he said was, "follow your passion not your pension".  In these times like these where we are so focused on money and material things, look to your heart and it will never steer you wrong.  Listening to your heart can be a difficult thing. 

Every year, I think next year I'm going to start doing this and I'm going to stop doing that.  I have made so many new year's resolutions that I have broken as quickly as I made them.  This year, instead of making resolutions, I think it's better to focus on things I have learned throughout the year.  Lessons learned definitely help me grow as a person.  I figure the more I grow the better changes I will make in my life.

This year, I learned to definitely never take anything for granted. This is a regrettable action because you should never underestimate another’s experience, kindness, time or action. When someone treats you right, treat them right back. It is so important to life. This is what we are supposed to be like. Instead from time to time, we don’t take the time out to recognize something or someone. Think twice before going down that road. It only takes a minute or two to call, write, email or text. People really enjoy acknowledgement. They like to know their action has made a difference. The feeling of giving is a feeling that provides a feeling like no other.  Study after study has proven that people feel happier when they do something to help another.

As we all say good-bye to 2010 and usher in 2011, stand up, put on your smile face and say hello to a new beginning. This is a brand new chance to change many things to the way you really want them to be. You can not change the past but you can shape the future.  Even if things happen to you that are out of your control – this is an opportunity to do something better. This is an opportunity to help someone, help yourself, help others and who knows, help everyone.