After completing an online webinar with one of my favorite author's Marianne Williamson, I received some profound guidance and advice that she was able to share with those of us in attendance.  Among my favorite was a statement that she made about how you define great people.  She stated, "Great people are not the one's that never fall down.  Great people do what it takes to get back up".  Think about the many times that you have fallen both literally or figuratively and the feelings associated with those periods which could have been embarrassing, shameful or even periods of defeat.  After she provided this statement, the first thing that came to my mind was an actual fall that I had when I was young in my preteen years.  I was running an errand for my Grandmother on my bicycle and I had a bag on my handle bars that was swinging back in forth from what I had bought at the store for her.  As I got closer to her house the bag swung right in to the bicycle spokes and in a split second, it prevented the wheel from turning and I immediately flew over the handle bars.  The moments shortly thereafter passed as if in slow motion as I slid on the asphalt on the street.  A neighbor who saw this came running over to me and as I made myself get up and limp away telling the neighbor that I was just fine.  I do remember that I could barely stand, as the pain that I was feeling from the scrapes and bruises began to set in.  I told myself in that moment not to cry and as I walked very slowly away and I felt extremely embarrassed over what had just occurred.  It would have never occurred to me as I think back at that explosive moment that the circumstance would enable me the opportunity to show the characteristics of being a great person, because I was able to get back up.  We are all riddled with various such examples I am sure, that poignantly can illustrate times in our lives where we may have taken a spill.  Perhaps it was an emotional or spiritual spill and we may have felt the lingering effects afterwards.  Some of those periods could have stayed with us for a far longer than we would have liked them to.  I  know that everyone has had at least one day in their life when they felt that perhaps they were not strong enough to get up.  Amazingly, most us did get up and are still standing until this day.  Give yourself some credit for what you were able to withstand and think about how much stronger you have become as a result of those falls.  In the morning or at night, look in the mirror and take a deep look at yourself as you embrace the experience that has come with your ability to stand there today.  While we all embody greatness, the amount that you give yourselves credit for will have to do with how much you believe this to be true in your own life.    

"Dreaming matters and allows you to become that which you aspire to be", this is part of a poem titled "Living Life" by Bonnie L. Mohr.  This poem is a wonderful tribute to not only what consists in living life, it also encapsulates the sage words that we all would want to produce in an explanation to someone who would ever ask us the question, "what is life about"?  I gave a portrait of this poem to my sister over the holidays and although it temporarily is housed with me, every time I pass by it I re-read a few words or a different sentence.  It has given me much to think about and re-affirm as I go about my busy days.  What I also enjoy about this portrait is that it is anchored by an image of strong and majestic looking tree, that appears to stand out from the others around it.  I have long been a proponent of dreaming and ensuring that young children continue to dream out loud, for as adults we need to encourage them that anything is possible.  Not too long ago we celebrated the day dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, who famously transcended and captured the pulse of a nation with what his dream was.  I remember being outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. a couple of years ago and standing at the dedicated engraved brick where he once made this historic speech.  I thought about how he as an individual dreamed out loud and led a movement that altered history.  In my quiet moments looking out towards the other wonderful monuments of that great city, I became mesmerized by the thought that anyone with a dream, hard work and strong conviction can achieve what they set out to do.  Perhaps we are not all called to revolutionize history or create a transformation of magnificent proportions.  However, we are very capable of altering our own lives, so that we can live out the remainder of our days in such a harmonious state, that we achieve the illusive inner peace that we all seek.  As with the tree example in the poem, it all begins with one seed that gets watered and nurtured until branches start sprouting and leaves eventually decorate the growing organism until it reaches out to the world to display its natural beauty.  We too can add things to our lives that hydrate us with positive emotions or nurture ourselves by being surrounded by caring people that value who we are.  With each passing year, our roots grow deeper as we become even more grounded in who we are and what we are meant to do.  Strong winds and storms come and go, yet a tree always glistens afterwards with a renewed sense of purpose.  We can learn a lot from a tree as we too have weathered these downpours that sometimes stop us in our tracks.  Therefore, continue to dream and encourage it from everyone that is part of your inner circle.  Aspire to grow each day as a regal tree does and greet the world around you with infinite determination that you are a living example of what dreams are made of.

An open expression of your feelings, can aide you with the healing process in your life.  This was part of an answer that Deepak Chopra, provided to a reader who was asking him about advice regarding his failure to get past the grieving process in the loss of his father.  This was a good example of how unresolved feelings can fester and create a place in your life that is left hollow or unfulfilled.  The issue of opening up and expressing feelings, can be such a complicated one for some people.  Among the biggest items to tackle in those situations, is having the courage to be vulnerable, in that expressing your feelings can possibly lead you to feel hurt or other negative emotions that you were unwilling to bare.  There is also the voice in the head, that you sometimes battle that provides you with examples of how you may have failed in the past and how this could be another one of those situations.  Nobody is better at talking down to you about your life's short comings, than yourself.  We are our own worst critics and we can be so hard on ourselves about where we lack or how we could be better.  As we grow older it becomes rare when we give ourselves praise for a job well done.  We usually expect someone else to recognize us or point out something that we did well.  However, when you lack that type of feedback or your inner circle of support is not as acknowledging as you would like them to be, then you have to action into your own hands.  There is a reason that self affirmations became famous years ago, in that it created an avenue for a sense of fulfillment.  If you have ever kept a journal where you wrote about your life and your experiences, you would be amazed to go back over some of those pages to see what you were feeling and how much you have grown since then.  This is why it is a recommended action that if you can allow yourself a few minutes at the beginning or the end of the day, you should practice jotting things down.  Having a written chronology about how you felt on certain days or what types of things you had to face is part of the formula to your own success.  Sometimes people are not there to congratulate you to tell you how well you did, yet , if you had a journal to go back and review, you would see the mountains that you have been able to climb.  Learn to get better at expressing your feelings, it is great if you can do it in person, however, if you struggle with that aspect then practice writing them down.   Not only will your own words be the medicine that your body and spirit may need, you will create a written reference to how to get past a particular issue.  In the process, you will continue to heal if you needed it and your personal growth will serve as a road map for others to come.        

In watching the Australian Open tennis tournament, I was listening to the commentators talk about a match up between two players.  One of whom has not been successful in beating the other player.  They spoke about strategy and how the player that repeatedly had lost previously needed to change something in their arsenal in order to have a fighting chance.  As I was absorbing the comments by the sportscasters, I felt that this example could transcend a tennis court in country that is on the other side of the world.  In life we are faced with many obstacles or tests if you will, that require us to walk through those difficult days in order to get to the outcome on the other side.  Being in the middle of test or an uncomfortable situation is never something that one hopes for.  What is a common factor in the outcome in any of those instances, is that we come through and are usually better for it.  In a perfect world, we would all be able to grow without sacrifice and be in control of everything at all times.  The reality is that we do not live in a perfect state and therefore we are destined to walk and encounter difficulties in the midst of our life's journey.  As parents, people always tell their children to learn from their mistakes and to approach their decision making a little differently, based upon the wisdom and knowledge of what they have learned.  Sadly, kids tend to not want to listen to their parents as they feel that they are quite capable of making decisions for themselves, particularly at adolescent ages.  It is only after encountering some periods of disappointment due to the consequences of their actions, that they realize that perhaps they should have paid closer attention to their parent's advice.  If you have situations that manifest themselves in your life and you feel that you do not want to walk through these issues anymore, then make sure that you are changing your strategy. Learn from the things that did not work the last time and give yourself the opportunity to grow from the lesson that is presented to you.  We can all fail at times to learn from our prior life lessons, however, it is up to us to be resolved with our strategy and that we give ourselves a good fighting chance to win in the future.  The better we get at recalculating a failed strategy, the better our chances will be that we claim a much needed victory that was a stepping stone towards our own personal growth.

I was reading an excerpt from Marianne Williamson's new book, "The Law of Divine Compensation", where she dedicates a chapter to the topic of a job versus calling.  It was a very interesting insight to a question that has plagued most of us through out our lives.  If we were to think about the great difference in perspective of what is our true calling on this Earth and what great purpose we are here to serve, as opposed to finding a job that is to pay bills and make ends meet.  Most people fall in the latter of the two philosophies, as I remember after graduating from college that I had college loans that were imminently due for re-payment.  Most of us in that situation look for a job that has some areas that we can relate to with regard to what our major was or specifically related to our interests.  It is not until some time later that you find yourself in the midst of doing a job for a period of time that you realize that you are in fact establishing a career.  Although I have worked for the same company for many years, I have this creative side that needs to be fulfilled and I have had the opportunity to exercise that propensity to write via this mechanism and through publishing a column of the same name.  I no longer spend time trying to answer my own question about pursuing a calling.  I decided some time ago to let the questions be answered by my higher power. I needed to simply walk forward in trusting that what I was meant to do and how I was to do it, would be manifested to me in a way that a lighthouse beams a ray of light to the ships out at sea to help them navigate their journeys.  Having faith and knowing that there is never a job or a situation that you are placed in without some type of tools that will assist you in performing the required tasks.  This again is where time works in your favor to teach you to be less anxious about what is to come as you grow older, as long as you invest and perform your best along with exhibiting a great attitude.  I can't wait to buy this new book by Marianne, as I have others by her and I always learn new things based upon her enlightened and eloquent perspective.  In the mean time, I will continue to walk forward enjoying my calling, while adding value to as many people as I can.  When my journey takes a new direction or I am presented with the next curve in the road, it will simply be an another opportunity for me to learn from as my calling continues to lead me through this great experience that I call life.

I was listening to someone on the radio the other day and they were talking about miracles and how some people may not believe that they can occur.  At the end of the conversation, the last thing that was discussed was that if you were a person that did not believe in miracles, then maybe you should begin with the fact that you are a miracle to begin with.  I was mesmerized by the conversation, as I am one of those individuals that believe that miracles can manifest themselves in our lives and I even believe that they occur daily.  My perspective on this is that a miracle is not necessarily a lightning type of occurrence, when the Earth stands still and time freezes so that we can all observe the remarkable revelation.  Through the many books that I have read and the research that I have done with some of the most powerful and spiritual people that have given us a road map for how we can live and embrace more of our lives, I have found many examples. Consistently I have seen the message about phenomenons that can have have the power to change you, your surroundings or your circumstance and their frequency can come in varied sizes including very small instances.  How we are able to marvel at things that happen through out our day, with that sense of wonder that embodies what a miracle is, depends on our attitude along with our perspective.  A definition for the word miracle that I ran across which embodies this conversation is; a person or thing that is a marvelous example of something.  We are surrounded by these great illustrations daily and yet we can be so detached from our keen senses of observation, that we pay little mind to how pronounced they can be in our lives.  Therefore, remember that we are great examples of something as the definition read before and we can begin the conversation of miracles by looking at ourselves in the mirror every morning as a starting point.  Open your eyes, ears and heart daily as you affirm the true meaning of the term miracle and how they can be more plentiful and abundant in your life.

"Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product" is a famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt.  Succinctly stated, we should aspire to do the things that make us happy and if we are being true to ourselves and cultivating the things that bring us joy, then you will be happy regardless.  This was my own interpretation of these great words, as I took them in.  There are a variety of examples of people who attribute the state of being happy to attaining something else.  Perhaps if they just had a better job, or if they just could find the right person or if they lived in a bigger house, then they would feel happier.  The truth is, that the state of one's personal harmony rests with ourselves and how we view our own state of being.  Money doesn't buy you happiness and for some getting divorced may bring some perceived happiness, while others feel that getting married will help them achieve it.  Human beings are fickle when it comes to some of these life matters, that the people around us may begin to question whether we even make sense at times.   Our goal should be to do the things that bring us joy and make us passionate about what we are doing. When older people are asked about the things that brought them joy in their lives, they usually have a number of examples to share with others about being in that state for as long as they could capture it.  None of us want to get to the point in our lives that we would have any type of regrets about what we should have done or failed to accomplish.  This is why we are to live for the present, which we sometimes can take for granted.  Individuals with youth on their side, may think that they have a lifetime ahead of them in order to achieve such levels of happiness, that they put it off into the distant future.  It is not until one is older that time begins to move quite fast and then you come to the realization that you may have less time than you think.  Therefore don't postpone joy any longer in your life and live for the little things that make you smile and fill your heart with exuberance.  Reflect on what a blessed life you have been privileged to live so far, while happiness is attracted to you in enough small amounts that it becomes an abundant by-product of who you are.

I had a discussion the other night about a famous poem titled, "Please Hear What I Am Not Saying", by Charles C. Finn.  The poem famously describes anyone who feels that what people see is not who they really are.  I also remember reading this in one of my English literature classes in college and the class had a lively discussion afterwards, as a lot of people identified with the poem had to say.  I believe the reason there are plenty of individuals that can identify with this particular piece of literature, is that anyone can understand the feeling of wanting to demonstrate to  the world that the person that they see on the outside, may not be necessarily who they are on the inside.  This can become a battle of internal will, when we think that we have let go of some particular attributes that are no longer part of us.  Others can remind us at times that they may still think of us as that individual that they knew from the past.  Another example that comes to mind is when people graduate from high school, for those that had a great experience and their adolescence was full of positive experiences, they can relish in reliving those great formative years.  However, a good majority of people may not have had that type of experience and when they get an opportunity to go back to see their high school peers at a reunion, they also are allowed to show those individuals who they really were behind the mask that they may have worn in their youth.  The point being that people may not necessarily feel comfortable in sharing who they really are with the world, especially after many years of portraying themselves in a particular way.  Time is more precious than we think and that is why it is important for all of us to be as genuine as possible.  Letting go of things than are not part of your true essence and embracing the individual that you feel you are inside, is really what the world wants to see.  Provide yourself with the opportunity to feel comfortable in your own skin and don't worry about what others will think, those that really matter will always support you regardless.

I was having a conversation with my younger sister this morning after breakfast and we were discussing a topic that made in impact to her life.  There are words in a passage of a book that state, "you cannot transmit something you do not have".  This transcends the typical material idea of perhaps money, which again is true if you do not have this then you cannot give it away either.  Our discussion centered on the more deeper meaning that was related to this.  The concepts such as; happiness that cannot be shared with someone else if you are not happy, love cannot be given if you do not have love for your own self, or even forgiveness that you may not be able to grant to someone else if you cannot forgive yourself first.  These are topics with substance, however, they are meaningful areas of discussion that one should periodically take a look at to see if any of these are causing a particular barrier in your own life.  In order for any of us to be able to share anything as deep as ourselves with someone else, one must be comfortable with who you are and what you represent, in order for it to be genuine.  We can all be quite critical about ourselves, which in turn can prevent us from feeling that we are capable of embracing others in the deeper sense.  One of the biggest hurdles in our ability to be able to accept others, forgive others and love others, begins with our own selves.  I spoke earlier this week about the feelings of unworthiness which can complicate matters and how we should expect more for ourselves.  In actuality we should be able to receive plenty from those people that have care and affection for us. Due to one reason or another we can prevent some of those good feelings from reaching us because of our own walls around us.  Therefore reflect on the fact that you can give more of yourself to others, by allowing yourself to accept that you have contributions to make and are filled with enough self confidence that you were indeed created for a greater purpose.

Engage in the possibility that exists because you are worthy.  I know some people may still be wavering in the land of uncertainty when it comes to what they should expect in their lives.  However, I want to press on with the idea that you are deserving of the good things that have happened in your life and that you should be able to attract even more.  In life we all know that good times occur and so can bad periods.  A sudden loss of someone close to you, an illness that follows and perhaps problems with personal relationships due to the fact that you may be dealing with the prior two issues, are prime examples of what some people can go through.  When I think about those people that handled adversity gracefully, it was always their attitude that stood out as the key to how quickly they were able to bounce back. I posted a quote from Erma Bombeck, a longtime writer and humorist who made the world around her funny by elaborating on her life, primarily as it related to her observations of a suburban housewife.  She appropriately stated, "If you can laugh at it, you can live with it."  These are not only words of wisdom that can help endure some heartache, they can also allow any type of pain to begin to subside.  It is having a grateful and positive attitude, that can sometimes allow you to have the last laugh.  So, life isn't always fair nor is it always a bed of roses, however, it is your perspective that can enable you to walk through a tough period with your head held high and a smile on your face, even when you feel that the world does not deserve it.  I hope that you can allow yourself to feel that you have value and the world is better because you are in it.  It is only a matter of time before you will find that no matter how difficult a situation may become, your attitude will surpass that situation and get you to an even higher level.

I read a quote by Isaac Asimov that asks the basic question, "Are you good enough?"  His quote concludes by stating that in life people will take you at your own reckoning.  Powerful, short and to the point is the best way I can describe his words, as they illustrate that we are the only one's with the power that can change how the world sees us.  I believe that it is a common issue for people to question if they are good enough and I believe that it very related to a deeper issue (s).  If you grew up with low self esteem or other issues that may have questioned your ability to believe in yourself, it can be a long road back from that often dark journey.  It can be easier to remember in our younger years or recall when something negative was said about us that made us feel less than.  It is interesting that we tend to have less memories of those instances when people said really good things about us that made us feel that we were on top of the world and special.  Part of this can be cultural, as with some individuals speaking about or highlighting oneself may not necessarily be appropriate based on how they were brought up.  However, all children when they are small need to feel special about who they are.  It is what helps transition them into confident adults.  If you grew up with a foundation that may have been rocky at best, it can cause self doubt or a lack of confidence in later years.  The key to having a feeling of self worth, can begin with a simple and powerful statement to yourself that simply states that you are worthy and were created for a divine purpose.  One has to believe that at a minimum, you cab attract anything else that can help complete you inside.  We can attempt to fill voids inside of us with food, jewelry, clothes or any other number of material things.  Yet, in order to feel full and not empty, we must address the answer to the question about being good enough.  If your answer begins with yes, then anything after that is completely possible for your life.  If you struggle with the answer to that question, then begin addressing it and allow yourself to get the place where you can let any past ill feelings go.  Poor beginnings in life, do not necessarily mean you have to have a poor ending. Give yourself the opportunity to embrace happiness and know that you are worth this and more.    

In life sometimes we hit some road blocks that are unexpected. This usually provides us with an opportunity to sharpen a skill that we may not have utilized too frequently.  When these life events come at us, we usually find ourselves somewhat vulnerable to the situation.  Although we know in our hearts that things cannot always be perfect, if you live long enough you will understand that there are these periods when the wind seems to be let out of our sails.  When these things happen, one of the details that we sometimes fail to realize is that other people have either gone through the same thing or happen to me in the middle of the same storm, it just may be occurring in a different location.  Time can feel like it may be moving at a snails pace during these periods.  These opportunities when they arrive can provide us with another example of how much we have in ourselves to push through a challenging situation.  Our wisdom allows us to review a mental catalog of circumstances that we have either been in before or perhaps we are able to recollect someone near us that may have gone through a similar situation. In either case, one begins to develop the appropriate strategy in order to figure out the proper way to address this.  Our faith is also what can carry us from one dilemma to the next.  Because some of us believe that we are never alone in our journeys, we can find comfort that our faith tells our hearts that things are going to be okay.  When I was thinking about these ideas earlier, I was reminded about a snow storm that I happened to drive into and yes it occurred in Southern California.  I was driving in the mountains east of San Diego on a late afternoon, when for the very first time in my life I found my self heading down a mountain with swirls of snow coming at me.  Although initially I was excited to see this, my feelings quickly changed as weather grew more ominous and my car tires began to lose some traction.  None of us in this part of the country can ever be prepared for something like this.  However, when I got to the bottom of that mountain in midst of this large storm, a dump truck arrived that almost magically appeared after a freeway exit and began to drop salt on the road as it headed out in front of me.  I recall that I could not believe my luck and as I would later realize that my Higher Power, was fully in control of that particular situation that I could have never gotten myself out of.  Hence, if you find yourself in a quandary, remember that your wisdom and your faith can provide comfort to you as your issues may only be of a temporary nature.  Soon enough you will see the silver lining in the clouds above you and you will be able to look back at yet another challenge that you were able to master.

Repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, is one of the definitions of the word "insanity", that was coined by Albert Einstein many years ago.  He certainly was on to something, as this definition is very clear in its meaning, for anyone that may have had a question about it.  I believe that all of us are guilty as adults in having these type of insane instances, when we attempt or repeat things and yet, we have all awaited different outcomes.  If you are trying to lose weight and you still are eating too much or eating too many of the wrong foods, can be an example of this word.  Spending money without regard to what your available balance is or your weekly or monthly budget, can also be added as another illustration.  There is also the relationships that we sometimes hang onto that appear to have a sense of insanity, where people can talk themselves into thinking that a person will act differently or will be a different person if you just give them enough time.  My sense is that if Mr. Einstein were around today, he would poignantly advise anyone of us, as we would all be exhibiting some insanity among ourselves.  I was contemplating all of this earlier today as I was at a stop light where I saw a gym and lots of advertising around it about New Year's resolutions and how they could be your answer to all of the issues that people may have around losing weight in the New Year.  I think we can all acknowledge that a membership at gym, although it can be quite a healthy habit to pick up, is still not going to provide you with the harmony or contentment to our lives at the end of the day.  Things that need fixing inside of us, need to get addressed otherwise they fester and become toxic later.  Any kind of over indulgence is not good for anybody whether it is food, spending money, alcohol or what ever your choice of gratification may be.  Moderation is the key to many things and why it works so well, is because it provides for our ability to have balance in our lives.  When we are out of balance, then things tend to go into various peaks and valleys.  As we turn the corner and head forward into this brand New Year, let us remember to address the things that need to be addressed first, so that we can reduce our periods of insanity to a minimum.

Design happiness for the present; was part of a quote that I read earlier today.  It made me think for some time about our ability to construct or design such an environment similar to how an engineer brings an idea through a series of sketches, then into life.  All of us have these innate abilities that we have had in us, probably since we were born.  As time goes by we face circumstances that can illicit those talents to flourish in a lightening quick moment, primarily as a result of our own defense mechanisms.  I never think that things are really an accident, as there always seems to be a greater reason for things to occur once time has passed.  So today we are left with this idea that we can actually create or map out our own happiness.  I know a lot of people may then be questioning the process of how we can bring this into fruition.  This is where I believe that your innate architectural skills can aide you in this process.  You can proclaim to attract it or add to someone else's happiness or perhaps another example is to surround yourself with those individuals that will enhance your own state of happiness.  There is definite power in positive thinking and your will can begin in the morning by declaring that you will have a day filled with as much happiness as possible.  Whether they are happy stories that you read, or listen to music that makes you happy, those can be some of the ingredients to your own formula.  As I get older, I find that my ability to provide happiness in any form to someone else, usually brings me a lot more happiness as a result.  Finally, it is key to make some adjustments if needed that may have to do with your circle of friends and family.  Sometimes we have to make some tough decisions about filtering out some of these individuals from our lives, due to the fact that are draining and are not adding value to you.  There are many various steps that can be taken, however, over time some of these changes can yield some great results.  Therefore, today think of yourself as the great architect that is going to design the happiness building that is called "you".  Think about what the entrance or grounds will look like, what color you will be painting it and how it will be furnished inside.  I know that we are humans and not buildings, however, I do believe that we can approach somethings that are similar to designing a custom made edifice, similar to how we want to design our own lives.  Give yourself some time to work through your drafts and little by little, begin the process of putting together the place filled with much happiness that is who you really want to be in the end.

Many people made a list of resolutions or things that they want to achieve during this next year as they proceed through 2013.  I think it is great to be able to put things down in writing as it lends more credibility towards achievement as a result. However, an important action that I believe should also be done is to go back over the last one to five years and list your accomplishments.  Since we are our own worst critics, it is easy for anyone of us to gravitate towards what was not done.  Yet, when you think back to just the course of one or a couple of years, what was actually achieved and the things that you have overcome can be quite surprising.  As the brand new year began with celebrations all over the world, think of this period as the point where you can take a moment to celebrate what you have overcome and how far you have traveled to arrive at your present destination.  The journey that began with one small step or the many detours that your life has taken, are part of the attainment of where you are today.  Therefore, it is key that one recognizes the vast distance that exists between the person that you were five years ago and the person that you are now.  The things that have occurred in your life since then, may have changed or altered your existence quite substantially.  However, when you begin putting the pieces together, I believe that you will find that your personal growth has increased to such a great level that surpasses what you thought you could reach.  If you find that there are things that have still not changed to the degree that you wanted them to, then use this as your catalyst to map out a different road that can take you to your desired destination.  The one thing that is constant as time goes by is that you may now be more knowledgeable about how to proceed with your path, as your earned wisdom can help you with the navigation process.  Remember to give the proper respect to your attainments and you will be astonished at how far you have come thus far.

I was driving home with some close friends this afternoon after an evening spent at another dear friend's home, as we celebrated and embraced brand new year that we now find ourselves in.  As we chatted our way on the road and navigated through the rolling hills, we were surprised as we encountered a very small snow shower.  It came out of the blue and although we could still see the sun in the background there were some wintry grey clouds passing over us.  I thought about this as I finally made it home and how I enjoy being part of something new and different each day.  It has been many years since I have driven through any type of snow storm as they don't come often to Southern California.  However, the mountains and hills near by can provide for a fresh perspective on how weather can be dynamically different through out this great state. I also began to think about the opportunities that we receive to experience and embrace something new on an ongoing basis.  I find that if you allow your mind to filter in or look for these observations, their frequency increases very similar to exercising a muscle after a period of time.  The distractions of everyday living may play as a detractor as we can miss some of these circumstances that allow us to bask in a unique encounter.  I am also very much aware that abundance begins in these small experiences, as it is a number of small great things put together that can equate to creating a large bounty.  I heard from a relative a long time ago that among the greatest and most expensive perfumes in the world, those rare types are sold in the smallest of bottles.  This was her way of telling us that large quantities in general do not necessarily mean better.  Therefore as we embark in 2013, I challenge you to look for all of the little things that can add so much value to you that you may end up with an abundance of things to celebrate when you get to December at the end of this year.  Your new perspective can change the world around you along with the people in it and you have the power to determine how you proceed.  My suggestion is to choose wisely, as you live, love, laugh and dream within the next twelve months ahead.