As the Clock Ticks Down…

As the clock ticks down to the end of 2022, we’re all looking back to see where we’ve come from since we last stood in this place between years.

It has been a very rough year for many friends: deaths, losses of jobs and houses and pets, illnesses.

The world has seen COVID refuse to be vanquished; inflation has run rampant; climate chaos has taken a vengeful toll; and a horrific, unjust war rages in Ukraine.

But there is always hope, always good news somewhere, and it is important to remember that good news somewhere else does not mean less where you are.

It’s a beacon of hope, a reminder that the world is inherently a good and valuable place, even if not all people in the world understand the rare gift we’ve been given.

In 2023, I wish for you a new view of life.

I wish for you a life that always includes possibilities, the ability to embrace Plan B if Plan A doesn’t work out or can’t find you.

I wish for you a life filled with encouragement, whether through a person, a pet, a paragraph in a book or a fleeting glimpse of someone else’s inspiration that has extra for you to take with you on your own road.

I wish for you new creativity, new ideas, and new hunger for finding your joy with every single sunrise.

I wish for you belief in yourself, your heart, your mind and your innate goodness — for all of this is available to you, in as much quantity as you can imagine.

All the other usual wishes — health, wealth, peace, success, happiness — can all be created by you if you grab hold of those first four wishes and wrap yourself in them every day.

A truly, truly Happy New Year to all of you. To quote a wise friend: I believe in you, and always will. You’ve got this.