THE GIFT OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES

This is the time when almost everyone celebrates. Some of
us celebrate Hanukkah, many celebrate Christmas or one of
the other traditions, and almost everyone celebrates the
New Year, at least for business purposes.  (Many people
around the world traditionally use other calendars.)
Whatever tradition you follow, this is a time for
reflection, renewal, affirmation and joy.
Personally, I don't think it's a coincidence that in the
The combination of our traditional celebrations and the
start of a New Year make this a natural time to review the
past and preview the future. After all, even the sun is
coming back!
Through the year, we work hard. We are busy and have so
much to do that it is easy to get distracted, take loved
ones for granted and neglect our values in the hurry to get
things done. I often think the best gift of the holidays is
time to slow down, decorate our homes, share with loved
ones and remember our roots.
Too often, we get caught up in the rush and noise of life.
Sometimes we lose our way and forget our most important
goals and priorities. When that happens--and it happens to
all of us at some point--we often criticize ourselves,
sometimes harshly. When I see that, I routinely tell
clients to "Stop it!" I think it's a waste of time, and
worse, it can become a way to avoid starting again and
moving in the direction you truly want to go.
I'm no sailor or pilot, but I love the reality that ships
and planes are off-course almost the entire time they are
traveling to their destination. Wind and currents and human
failures and thousands of "little things" constantly toss
them off-course.
Isn't that how life really is? We have a destination, of
course. We have values and desires, and we know our
ultimate goals, but much of the time we are tossed by the
winds and current of life. We are swamped with a project at
work, or an illness at home. We get caught up in a hobby or
forget to say "I love you" as often as we should. That's
not good, of course, but I think it is real life. We are
simply ships and planes, doing the best we can and being
tossed around a bit.
The difference is that sailors and pilots are never
surprised or discouraged or "lost" when a gust of wind
knocks them off-course. They simply adjust and keep right
on going and (this is important) almost every ship and
plane eventually finds the right harbor or lands at the
right airport. We should learn from that.
This holiday season, take time to review and affirm your
course in life. Take time to shop and do all the "stuff"
you have to do--that part is important--but in the midst of
the hoopla, sit down with a pen and paper to review and
remember your roots, your loved ones and your values.
Take a moment to review and re-affirm your goals and chart
a new course. If you've wandered a bit off-course, so what?
If you've been tossed and blown away from your major goals,
note that fact, plot a new course and get back to work. A
New Year is about to begin, and the sun is coming back!
Start over, start again. Even Mother Nature says it's time
for new beginnings.