I hope you will have a wonderful year, 

that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, 

that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it,

that you will be loved and that you will be liked, 

and that you will have people to love and to like in return. 

And, most importantly 

(because I think there should be more kindness 

and more wisdom in the world right now), 

that you will, 

when you need to be, 

be wise, 

and that you will always be kind.”

― Neil Gaiman

“I want first of all... 

to be at peace with myself. 

I want a singleness of eye, 

a purity of intention, 

a central core to my life 

that will enable me to carry out 

these obligations and activities as well as I can.

 I want, in fact--

to borrow from the language of the saints--

to live "in grace" as much of the time as possible. 

I am not using this term in a strictly theological sense. 

By grace I mean an inner harmony, 

essentially spiritual, 

which can be translated into outward harmony. 

I am seeking perhaps what Socrates asked for 

in the prayer from the Phaedrus when he said, 

"May the outward and inward man be one." 

I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace 

from which I could function 

and give as I was meant to in the eye of God.” 

― Anne Morrow Lindbergh

It is a new year..........! 

Many would say “A new beginning”! 

I guess that is true for some. 

Whether we have any resolutions or not, 

it is so that each one of us have something 

we would like to change a little, or a lot, 

and each one of us have some hopes for this new year! 

We have to make choices...

decisions..... 

take active steps to achieve some goals. 

Sometimes the fear of failure gets to us! 
Phew! 
I know it does to me! 

Sometimes we just need to step back a little 

and have a wider perspective of situations. 

Sometimes one has to dream a little!

I love to dream! 

My mother used to laugh at me 

and would often ask me what colour my castle was! 

It did not stop me from imagining things......

from daydreaming when I should’ve done something else!

I believe that each one of us 
has a secret “hide – away” 
to which we escape when real life tends to weigh us down. 

Some find that in music, 

some in books, 

and some in nature............. 

so many things. 

It is good to do so. 

It recharges the ‘batteries’ 

we need to cope with the everyday tasks...... 

the every day, essential, tasks.
It helps us to breathe........ 
to complete the most difficult task 
or project with a little more enthusiasm 

than what we’ve started off with!
May your secret ‘hide-away’ bring you a little
peace....... 
a little breathing time!
“Sometimes we get through adversity 
only by imagining what the world might be like 
if our dreams should ever come true.” 

― Arthur Golden

Life is full of disappointments, failures and setbacks. 

None of those things can permanently stop you.

 You have the power in you to overcome anything that life throws at you.

 There is nothing as powerful as a made up mind.

 Surround yourself with people who remind you that you matter 

and support you in the ways that matter most to you.

 No person, situation, or circumstance can define who you are. 

Don't give up, 

cave in, 

or stop believing that it's possible. 

It's not over until you win!

 You have GREATNESS within you!

—Les Brown

"There will always be a circumstance in life that 
we will need to overcome...

always, 

this is just a fact of life. 

We can't control everything that happens in life, 

but, we can control our reaction to what happens....

we can control our attitude, 

our determination, 

and our decisions.
Don't let yourself be paralyzed by the pain 
that someone else has caused...

know your worth!
You have within you the strength to stand proud....
so do it! 

Know you are not in control of the actions of others, 

you are only in control of your actions and reactions.

 Know that even if you are feeling miserable 
you have the power to control your emotions...

to turn things around by shifting your thinking.
In your life you can control...
Your values
Your morals
Your beliefs
Your thoughts
Your decisions.
Knowing this...always remembering this, 

will give you freedom to be who you need to be in order to live your life with dignity.

 No one can (nor should you allow them to) take these away from you.

 This is your power! 

This is your strength! 
It belongs to you and no one else. 

OWN IT!!!!"

~Kim Bayne

Sometimes the most healing gift we can give someone

 is to just be a witness to the pain and chaos of their life experiences. 

Certainly we are incapable of explaining why 

the big mysteries come upon us as they do. 

There are times when offering explanations even adds to the confusion.

 Sometimes the wisest position to take 

is to let a friend pour out her sorrow and rage, 

her anger and fear - 

listen to the big scream - 

and not flinch.

 Just listen and let the shock waves run over you

 like the sounds of screaming children 

who will gradually calm down and fall asleep from exhaustion. 

Painful life passages are exhausting, 

especially when mixed with mystery.

 You don't know when they will end - 

and you can even begin to believe they will never end.

 But they always come to an end. 

Screaming children always stop screaming - 

even the loudest ones. 

But you can begin to believe they can actually scream forever - 

and they can't tell you why.

 It's a mystery. 

You can only do your best to make sure nothing is seriously wrong 

and then make them as comfortable as possible. 

But imagine if you were not there...

how traumatic would that be for that child? 

Or for a friend' inner child that is absorbing the fear of a life transition? 

We are all standing in the Witness position of someone or something. 

It is a powerful place to stand.

 A prayer for the Witness in us that I find useful is, 

"Let the grace if healing flow through me and into this person's life. 

May that grace dissolve the fears of mind and heart. 

Hover over this human being, 

Lord, with mercy and love."

—Caroline Myss

Harboring anger and hatred toward anyone 

guarantees that you remain in low energy fields 

where problems will continue to crop up repeatedly in your life. 

I suggest that you examine every relationship

 in which you feel judgmental thoughts of anger and hatred.

 Replace those thoughts with energies of acceptance, 

kindness, cheerfulness, and love. 

You will have to make a personal commitment to, 

first of all,

 notice what you are feeling 

and then exercise your ability to choose to send love. 

When your heart becomes pure, 

your enemy becomes your friend,

 or even more significantly, your teacher.

Your worst enemies are your greatest teachers 

because they allow you to examine the emotions of anger and revenge 

and then to transcend them.

 They give you the exact tools you need to elevate yourself 

to the spiritual energies that provide your solutions.

—Wayne Dyer