A Blessed and Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year My Beloved Friends!!

As this brand new year dawns I am full of gratitude and awe!  We have 365 new days to make a change, make a statement, make a difference!  In contemplating this new year I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life.  I have met and become cherished friends with such wonderful teachers, guides and mentors.  Thank you all for being such blessings in my life!

I am looking forward to the opportunities and lessons this year will bring.  Each day we have the chance to make a change.  It doesn’t have to be an earth shattering change, it can be as simple as choosing to turn a negative into a positive.  Most of us have been programmed to think the worst of ourselves and our situations.  Making a choice to change a negative thought into a positive one can seem like a small step.  When we make this choice every day, we can radically change our lives.  We begin to look at the world in a more positive way. 

I feel another valuable change we can make is to push ourselves out of our comfort zones.  Again, this doesn’t have to be a radical push.  We grow by stretching ourselves beyond our usual areas of comfort.  If we have been able to take a class or study something on our own, why not share your knowledge with others?  Don’t think you are a teacher?  You may surprise yourself.  You don’t have to share your knowledge with 500 people.  Try sharing your knowledge with 3 people or 5 people.  Don’t think you are ready for that?  Try sharing your knowledge with one person.  Whether it’s one person or 100 people doesn’t matter.  What matters is that you are stretching beyond your comfort zone.  You may not think you can swim in the vast ocean of those who have more experience than you do.  However, beginning to take the plunge starts with putting a toe in the water.  Go ahead and put your toe in.  It may be easier than you think!

So as this new year begins, I encourage you to challenge yourself!  Learn something new, share something that you know with someone else, and continue to grow!  You may surprise yourself with your courage and strength!