I hope….this year will be different! Has this, or a similar phrase cross your mind? How did it feel? Like a defense for unfulfilled promise? Or an attempt to convince yourself that it just had to get better, because it could not get much worse?

Were there any fleeting thoughts that this year may turn out just like the previous year, and trying harder may only lead to more disappointment? This is not unusual at all, because we set ourselves up for this.  We are often so busy preparing for the commercial and social aspects of the year-end activities, that we do not take the time to be with ourselves. We can only reflect and become consciously aware of our truth when we go inward, become still, ask questions, and listen.

If you took some time to reflect, what inner voice were you listening to?

Mostly we scan our activities of the past year and notice all the so called ‘failure’ and disappointments; they just seem to pop up like the moving metal objects that you try to shoot down on a county fair, so you get the cheap stuffed animal prize.   It does not feel good, or does it?

But maybe you are full of enthusiasm about the fresh ideas and plans you have set to accomplish in the New Year.  Either way I just want you to pause and take a moment to contemplate and assess the past year with full conscious participation. Too often we use our minds alone in this exercise, and the “should have” or “should not have” become confusing and self -sabotaging.  Always check your mind’s voice against the truer voice of your emotion; the feeling that goes with it is much closer connected to your subconscious mind which is your wisdom well.

If something does not feel right, you may want to listen deeper in order to find the truth for you.  Now we can implement the changes that bring great possibilities for a year, taking us closer to the life we deserve and want. Every year we give ourselves a new chance for change.

But are you ready for change? Change happens anyway, the only question is whether you can create it with full acceptance and responsibility for your life. If you desire it enough and be conscious enough to claim your rebirth; then it turns into your most precious gift. You will live your life with more energy, love, and purpose.

I urge you to stand at the edge of your life and observe how you live, what you value, and what distresses you. … Don’t get dizzy at the complexity of all the beliefs you hold; they are just the outer shells of a very simple truth:  Your life is holy. It has always been holy and always will be holy.

Can you accept that? Can you uncover the innocence of your life and every aspect of it up to this moment? Can you be gentle with yourself as you would be with a newborn baby?  If you can imagine it, and feel it with deep passion you will realize the endless possibilities for your life in the New Year of 2008.

The time is now to discard any frivolous and shallow New Year resolutions, and take yourself out of any guilt or fear cycle into the true light of who you are and who you are becoming. Isn’t this much more exciting than losing weight, or changing your so-called “bad habits”?

The truth is that with the self- realization, and dedication to uncovering the shining light that you are, the “bad habits” will just fade out naturally.   What you thought was hard to do, will become an exciting journey of self-discovery while flowing with your spirit.

My advice is to keep a diary. Make it a devoted exercise to contemplate and write down your thoughts and feelings at the end of each day. You will be amazed at the end of the year how much you have grown in awareness, compassion and love. It is also a lot of fun to read, reliving moments of great joy and contemplating lessons learned or rejected.

We need you to do this, not only for your growth, but also for the blessing and example in your community and the world. Hold the view of your life’s innocence, and feel the safety in love, gratitude, and compassion in all areas. When you can feel it, you radiate it out to the world. This is the New Year’s blessing for all of us to share with each other and give to the world for peace.

Have a blessed 2008!