Do you have 2020 Vision?

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I know it's cliche, but as Barbara Walters would say, "This is 20/20".  I was going to take the week off from writing, but when you love something as much as I, you look for reasons, any reasons, to do what you love most, and for me, that's writing.  So I guess you are going to have to read one more blog this year, and I will attempt to launch you into the next decade with style.

If you have spent any time on social media over the last few days or weeks you would have seen post after post, meme after meme, about the New Year, and why so many people want to forget 2019.  Face it, every year we turn the corner on the old and we hope for the best for the new.  I don't know about you, but I had a pretty stellar 2019, but that doesn't mean that my hopes for the New Year are any less dwindled.  I have been preparing myself for a shift that I know is taking place.  This particular time is different however, and to be honest I can't quite put my finger on the reason why.  I think that this shift is one that I have prepared for, as it is one that has been ordained since the beginning of time.  I have, and maybe for the first time, actually come to a better understanding of who and what I am.  Funny thing about writing about one's true nature and purpose, is that you eventually pick up on what you are writing about and somehow take it on, like you were always intended to do.

Having 20/20 vision is about seeing perfectly.  Perfectly in the sense that you understand your purpose, your being, and your uniqueness.  Having a vision for 2020 is also about understanding your purpose, your being, and your absolute uniqueness.  One of the great things about entering a new year is that most people see it as a chance to start over.  We can say good-bye to whatever didn't work for us over the previous year, and we can set the intention for what we intend to do during the upcoming year.  Let me ask you this, do you even remember what it was that you were hoping for at the end of 2018?  Most people unless they wrote it down, can't tell you what it was.  Certainly most people are looking for happiness, most would say they want more money, or success in their professional life.  Some might even wish for health.  No matter what you were hoping for when you entered 2019, this is always the time of year when we reflect on things.  Most everyone has heard the expression "Hope springs eternal."  It's a fairly simple process really.  Whether you call it hope or faith, the end result is the same, if you loose either, you are never going to have what you desire most.  So it's not unusual for people to speak of hope and faith at the beginning of a New Year, but here's the kicker: are you still holding on to that same hope and faith as you prepare for the next New Year?  Did you see what you were hoping for over the past year, or was there a point in time when you just gave up on your vision?

Giving up is not something that is unheard of in life.  Many people give up on things.  Sometimes the price of getting something is not worth what the end result would bring.  Those decisions are yours alone to make.  I'm not here to tell what to believe for, how much you should believe, or even if you feel you can believe for something.  What I'm here to do is encourage you to look at things a little differently this year, and maybe through it all, you will have the breakthrough that you have been waiting your whole life for.  Let me give you a little glance into the upcoming year.  Did you know that there will be 366 days in 2020?  Did you know that each day will have 24 hours in it?  Each week will be comprised of seven days, and a cute fact, my birthday will be in August.  Ok, I know I'm being a little silly, but when you look at the upcoming year, trying to predict what is going to take place is like trying to guess the number of sand particles there are in all the beaches in the world.  It's nearly impossible, and quite frankly it's kind of a waste of time.

I know people make tons of money trying to predict what is going to happen to someone over the next year.  If that's your thing, more power to you.  I know that my year is going to be determined by how I set up the year, what my intentions are, and more importantly how I hold true to those intentions.  I've said it before, we create our reality by the words we say, the thoughts we have, and the feelings we allow.  If you want to change the outcome of the upcoming year, then change the way that you look at things.  If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got.  We can look toward the new year with hope, but if you can't set the intention, then you are going to be looking at the end of 2020, hoping for a better 2021, and thus the cycle continues.  Why not break the cycle this year and simply create your world?  We were always intended to create, not simply react.

So what is your vision for 2020?  Do you have 20/20 vision for the upcoming year?  Seeing clearly what you desire, setting the intention of what you desire, and not digressing from what you desire is the key to making or creating a stellar 2020.  Yes there may be times that we are tried, but trials or setbacks never killed anyone, they simply required some thought as how to get past them.  It's when you give up on what you desire most, that times get tough.

It's time to clearly see who and what you are.  This next year needs people to come to terms with their true essence.  When you know who and what you are, then and only then will you understand where you are going, and most assuredly, where you are going is where you were always intended to go.  Happy New Year to each of you, and I look forward to hearing about all of your triumphs over the next 12 months.

Traditions, Traditions, Traditions.

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Well we're smack dab in the middle of the holiday season and soon we will be celebrating with family and undoubtedly will be dusting off some old traditions, as well as creating new ones for the future.  As is customary for me, I will be writing to you today with some reflections of the past year, and with some advice for the upcoming year.  I will also attempt to get you perfectly situated for what is sure to be a banner 2020.

2019 has truly been a year of change for me and my family.  As most of you know my husband and I made the move from Maine to Texas. Although there are many things that we miss about our time in Maine, all 31 years of it, I am truly loving our time here, and I am looking forward to all the adventures that have already begun to germinate.  As we say good-bye to some old traditions, we will never forget them, but we are anticipating creating new ones as we get situated in our new home, our new town, and our new lives here in Texas.

Traditions are important.  Not simply because they tend to keep us tied into the past, but they allow us to remember some of the most important things in our lives.  Traditions are different for each person, and their level of importance to each person is really based on the memories that they either create or in some cases bring back to you.  Even though there are some traditions that we no longer adhere too, they still linger in our thoughts of times gone by, and what those times meant to us.  As I sit here to write this morning I am beginning to feel a shift.  This shift is much needed, and it is something that I have anticipated for quite some time.  Even though this shift will surely see some change in things, it will not alter what has taken place, nor will in nullify many of the traditions that I have held on to in life.

Often in life we are encouraged to forget about the things that have gone by, and simply focus on the future.  While this does have merit, to a degree, let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater.  Traditions often bring us to a place where we remember happier times.  Traditions allow us to step back and simply enjoy moments where we can forget about all that has happened and simply enjoy the moment we are in.  It seems as though that most people during this time of year are able to forget about the turmoils of life, and simply enjoy those happier moments.  What we need to do is not wait until the end of each year to live this way.  Why not allow the upcoming new year to be the breakout year when all you focus on is you.  Focusing on you is not selfish, for in many cases focusing on you is a very selfless act.  I've written about this in the past, yet many seem to think that when we think about ourselves we are simply saying that we are the most important thing going on around us and nothing else matters.  Realize that if you can not accept all that you are, you will never be able to provide your gifts to the rest of humanity, and in reality that is why you are here in the first place.  I know this may seem a little off topic, but trust me I will bring it back together in a very coherent way, and you will thank me later for sharing all of this.

2020 is right around the corner, and with each new year many people will profess that this is the year that they will change things up.  I see it on social media already, people bemoaning what a travesty 2019 was, and how there is hope for better things in 2020.  People have made a tradition of pressing past the current year, jumping ahead to the next year, and on and on it goes each year.  Hey, I fall prey to the very same thing, thinking about the next year, but what I don't do is forget all the good that has happened, and how important it is to live in all the goodness.  We hold on to traditions because they tend to make us feel good.  Traditions bring back happy memories.  Let's be real, are you ever going to hold on to a tradition that only creates hurt and pain?  Your tradition at the end of each year should be to hold on to each lesson that was learned, even if there was pain and hurt associated with the lesson.  Your tradition should be to find the joy in each situation you went through during the past year, and focus on that joy.  Your tradition should be to shed the skin of others expectations, and simply wear your own skin.  If you attempt to be something you're not in this upcoming year, you are going to be stepping right back to the tradition of bemoaning the previous year.

If you want to change things up and create a new tradition for you and those around you, start by accepting the real you, the authentic you, the unique you.  Start 2020 by seeing more clearly than ever  before who and what you are.  As we look beyond tomorrow, we can't forget about yesterday, but yesterday can't be a chain around your neck, holding you back.  Here's one warning about traditions:  if they are holding you back from being who you were meant to be, then get rid of them.  Traditions should bring joy and happiness, never remorse of worry.  Traditions should remind us of happier times, and never put us in a place where we slip into despair.

What I desire for each of you this next year is that you will focus on you.  By doing this, you will position yourself to be of greater good for those around you.  What I desire for each of you this next year is that you will experience life to its absolute fullest and that joy and happiness surround you every moment of every day.  What I desire for each of you is that you discover more about your True Destiny, and that you begin your journey of discovery, no matter where it takes you.

Traditions are great, they are fun, and they are memorable.  Why not create some new ones this holiday season, ones that will focus on what is most important to you, and to those around you.  I leave you with this:  may life be exciting, may joy be your focus, and love be the driving force behind all that you do.  Feel the excitement, live in the joy, and spread the love.  If you will do this, then your new traditions will flow, and they will come naturally to you, and most importantly, they will last for a very long time.

I am________(Fill in the Blank.)

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What are you?  Who are you?  If I told you that you have the ability to create your own reality, would you believe me?  Would you believe me if I said that by merely accepting certain truths about your ability to create, you could completely change the course of your life and what you experience on any given day?  Today I want to share with you some of the things that I do each day and night to ensure that I am what I am desiring to be.  The first thing that I need you to understand is that "your" words have not only meaning, but absolute power to change things, start things, and move things in ways you never thought possible.  We are so quick to speak things without first recognizing the power of our words. We've all been around people who arbitrarily say things without the slightest thought of how those words can effect others, either in a positive or negative manner.  Words matter, and so do feelings and thoughts.  This must be the day that you begin using the power that has been granted to you in a way that molds and shapes your existence in the way you desire.  Now if you don't care about your life, meaning you're just as happy to walk through the muck and mire with everyone else, well I guess what I am writing this morning won't really speak to you.  If however, you want more from life, more than what others have said is  possible, then maybe you will want to really take heed to what I am saying.

I constantly hear people talking about all the things they are, sadly most of what they are saying is negative at best.  "I'm never going to be good at this..", "I'm fat", "I'm ugly".  I'm this or that, and most of the time what they are saying are all the things they think they aren't instead of saying all the things they want to be.  Just think if instead of saying all the things you don't want, what if you began saying all the things you desire most.  I'm Joy.  I'm Happiness.  I'm Love.  I'm Peace.  I'm Beautiful.  I'm Abundant.  I'm Brilliant.   If you can't accept that you are each of these things, then you never have to worry about having these things in your life.  My question to you would be, why wouldn't you want these things in your life, and even more importantly, why would you do anything that would keep these things away from you?  Every time you say 'I can't" or "I'm not" you are simply setting yourself up for a whole lot more "can't" and "not".  So that begs the question, why?  Why would you want negative in your life, and not living a life of total happiness and joy?  Why would you choose not having what you desire most, and instead replace it with a bunch of things that you would never wish on your worst enemy?  When you continually say all the things you're not, you are simply asking for more of it to come into your world.

Believe it or not I start and end each day saying all the things I am.  I'm not saying what I think I am, or what I some day want to be, I am saying all the things that I am right now.  I am strong.  I am joy.  I am happiness.  I am love.  I am abundant.  I am divine.  I am one with my Creator.  By taking the last five minutes before falling asleep I am placing all of my "I am" statements into my sub-conscious mind to percolate for the next eight or so hours.  What I am doing is stating all that I am, and not what I am not.  Too many people are always saying what they are not, and all they are doing is asking for more of what they don't want in life to come at them with a vengeance.  Words have power, which is why it is so important to watch what you say.

So what are you?  If you will begin by saying what you are, you will energize your life with more of what you are.  I'd say that having more joy, more happiness, more abundance in your life is something that most anyone would desire.  If you are lacking anything in your life then the first step is to recognize that maybe the words you are speaking is the root cause of your lack.  If during your day you find yourself saying what you can't do, or what you aren't, then simply stop, and begin saying all that you are.  I am strong, I am wisdom, I am bold, I am magnificent, and so on.  It will only be a matter of time until you begin seeing more of this in your life.  So let me ask you this: do you want more good or more less than good in your life?  If it's the latter, then simply do nothing.  If you desire more goodness, more happiness, more joy, then claim it, and know that it is yours, has always been yours, and will always be yours, if you will own it.

Words and feelings have power, and the sooner you recognize this fact, the sooner you can have it all in your life.  We are created beings and as I have said so many times in the past, we were created to create.  If you want to create a super tremendous life, then speak it, feel it, be it.  If you simply want to go with the flow, and why you'd want that I'll never know, but if that's what you want, ignore what I am writing to you today.  I know that many will think that all this "I am" stuff is simply mind salad, and nothing you say or think will have any impact on your life.  I feel for these people, but I hope that you will decide that you control the direction of your life, and if you will make some simple modifications to what you do each day, you will indeed see a change, and that change will put a smile on your face.

Create your life with the words that come out of you.  Walk in total joy and happiness, by spreading joy and happiness.  Own love and compassion, by speaking love and compassion.  Experience abundance and prosperity, by feeling it.  You were never intended to live a life that was void of all the goodness that life has to offer, so now is the time to accept the goodness.  Forget about what happened before and begin anew.  Time is an illusion, and what may have been missing in the past, no longer has to be missing for you now.  You are peace, joy, and happiness.  You are love, beauty, and divine.  Say it, walk in it, be it.  It's all up to you.  I trust you will make the right choice.

Life is a journey of discovery, why not take the first step?

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The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.  Each of us are on a journey, and this journey will be different from any other journey you have ever taken, or will ever take.  Your journey is meant to teach you the significance of your true essence, who you are, why you are here, and just how divine you really are.  Now there will be those who will run away from learning about who they really are, but trust me, you will eventually come full circle and you will know the real you.

I've been focusing on my higher self for quite some time.  I've been meditating about my divinity, that I am an infinite being, and that I have always been and will always be.  I know that many will scoff at these statements, but they are the very same people who haven't a clue as to their true self, let alone be willing to walk in the fullness that was always meant for them.  What I'd like to do today is prompt you to take that first step into a discovery of your beauty, your greatness. I want you to understand your never ending ability to create a life that is beyond imagination.

We have all been conditioned to believe that we live here on this planet only to take what comes our way.  Now for some good things seem to show up at all times, while there are others who seem to always be in a cycle of lack and scarcity.  We have been taught that good things come to those who wait, but in reality good things come to those who are bold enough to create their reality with their thoughts, feelings, and words.  We are taught certain things growing up and then we spend a lifetime trying to unteach ourselves many of the limiting beliefs we have held on too.  Believe it or not I start and end each day with my "I am" statements.  What are "I am" statements?  Simply put, they are statements that say who I am, without regard to what may be going on around me.  I try to read each night before I fall to sleep.  Now I may only read for ten minutes, but I want one of the last things I think about to be uplifting, as I will ponder those thoughts in my subconscious for the next eight hours as I sleep.  That being said, the very last thing I think about before I fall asleep are my "I am " statements.  I am that I am.  I am peace, I am joy, I am happiness, I am abundant, I am infinite, I am one with Spirit.  I think these each night and I begin my day with these statements.  Now to some this may seem like a total waste of time.  Be that as it may, I will not end or start my day any other way.

I want to discover the fullness of my existence.  I want to walk in that fullness.  So many people have relegated themselves to the bench in terms of having it all right now.  How many times have we heard that when we die and go to heaven that we will have our glorified bodies and we will never know sickness, or sadness, or any other thing that we content with here on earth?  Well, help me out here, doesn't it say "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"?  Once again we have fallen prey to what has been pushed down our throats for years.  Your journey of discovery needs to begin with grasping the total significance of who and what you are.  I know I sound like a broken record as I write about these things all the time, but there is a reason I repeat, and repeat, and repeat again these simple facts.  Until such time as you identify with your "I am" statements you will always be victim to the conditioning you have been put through since birth.

Let me ask you a simple question: would you rather walk around with a smile on your face, or with a never ending list of things that just didn't work out for you?  I get how things can seem to be out of control from time to time, but staying in a place where you never recognize how truly remarkable you are is just not a place you should want to be in.  Discovering your greatness, your true identity, is what will unlock a world of beauty for you.  Walking in your divinity will set your feet on a path to absolute discovery of your uniqueness.  We are not just humans who have a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings.  Nothing is ever going to change that, and the sooner you realize just what you are, the sooner you can have it all.  Now let me provide you with one word of warning:  there is not place for ego when it comes to being who you really are.  Ego have never been, and will never be your friend.  Ego only cares about itself, and could care less whether you ever walk in your destiny.

If you want to have it all, experience it all, love all things, enjoy life to the fullest, then accept this journey of discovery for what it is, your true destiny.  I desire good things for each of you, but even wanting this for you will come up with no results if you first don't accept who and what you are.  I can lead you to the promised land, but you have to make the decision to come along on this journey.  Life was never intended to be a series of "you'll never make it", or "you aren't good enough for that." Life should in fact be something that energizes you.  Life should excite you and when you first wake up in the morning you know it's going to be a great day.  I am that I am.  I am joy, I am peace, I am happiness, I am abundant.  I am the beginning and the end.  I am simply what I was created to be.  I will create my reality, and I will be a source for others to draw from.  Why not go on a journey with me and see where it takes you.  You can stay put, and continue to experience what you have been going through, or you can take the first step on your journey.  I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and start living the life you were always intended to walk in.

Life is wonderful when you fully grasp your beauty, your uniqueness, and your highest self.  Reach out and accept all that is out there for you.  I promise you this: when you begin to walk in your "I am" statements you will never look back with regret.  Begin your journey of discovery and know that things will never be the same again.

What if?

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What would you do with a do over?  What would you do if you could change any one thing?  What if you had taken a right instead of a left?  We've all played the "What If" game during our life.  My question to you today is, is there any benefit to playing "What if"?  Life is short, well short in terms of the years we have here on this planet.  Not so short when you consider that you have been around since the beginning of time in some fashion or form, and will be around until the end of time.  Many will think I've gone off my rocker, but energy doesn't go away, and we are all energy.  However, energy is not my topic of discussion for today.  I may cover that topic at a future date, but for today, what I'm going to be talking about is what are you going to do with your time, and is it really worth your while to worry about what you did or didn't do.  Playing the what if game is quite possibly the biggest waste of time.

Can we be honest for just a moment and agree that there is zero benefit too worrying about what happened yesterday?  For that matter can you ever change something that just took place five minutes ago?  The answer is no.  You can't change it, and hoping that things will change is nothing more than an act of futility.  Exerting any energy to worry about the past is never going to add one second to your life.  I would rather spend my energy looking forward and forget about all the things that weren't.    If you are truly content with your life right now, then it's doubtful that you will spend even the tiniest amount of energy worrying about the past.  If you are confident that you are perfect in your design, that you being here is perfect, then my guess is you are not going to spend a lot of time worrying about what did or didn't happen to you.

I see people everyday who bemoan their life.  Sadly they don't realize that their words, thoughts, and feelings have brought them to the place they currently find themselves in.  There are a million different things that I can look back on and wonder how things would be had I zigged instead of zagged.  I am who I am today because of the things I gone through.  Certainly there have been times in my life when things were anything but painless, but I learned from each situation, and that learning has taught me many lessons that I have grown from.  Instead of trying to reclaim something that has already gone by, why not focus on those things that really matter?  As the picture says, "Life is short. Do stuff that matters."  Fretting over the past is never going to change the past.  Worrying about what didn't happen is not going to change the outcome.

I want to encourage you find your passion and focus on that passion.  Given the option to have a life full of joy and happiness verses dismay and dread is a simple choice.  Yet there are those who refuse to find goodness in all things, and instead settle for what comes their way.  You can create anything your heart desires, and creating quite frankly is the name of the game.  Have you ever just taken the time to call forth the gifting inside of you?  We each have specific talents that have been placed in us for the purpose of walking in our destiny.  Why in the world would you want to ignore those gifts and just let them sit there?  If you had told me 15 or so years ago that I would be a published author I would have thought you nuts.  Yet I sit here this morning doing what I love doing.  This is the "stuff" that matters to me, and this is the "stuff" that fulfills me, and allows me to bring love to the rest of humanity.  There is not a single thing in this world that could ever change what I love doing most.  I get this time each week to just splash around in total joy and happiness.  When you are occupying your time with stuff that matters, I promise you that you will not be focusing on all those things that may have happened last week, last month, last year, or just five minutes ago.

Finding your happy place is easy when you are doing stuff that matters.  So what if you could be doing only things that mattered to you?  What would life be like if all your waking moments were filled with stuff that motivated you, brought a smile to your face and a skip to your steps?  What if you had the ability to bring joy to others simply by doing stuff that mattered to you?  If you are walking in your destiny and doing things that matter I promise you that joy will be present.  You will change lives simply by being in some one's presence.  People know when there is good energy around them and trust me people want good energy, even when they don't realize that that is what they are seeking for.

What if you could be a magnet for all goodness in life?  Would that interest you?  If I told you that you have the ability to create all manner of goodness not only for yourself, but for others, would that make you sit up and take notice?  The first step in this process is start showing that you are grateful for being alive right now, and grateful for all that you have been equipped to do in this life.  There is so much that we should be grateful for and yet there are those who will continue to strive for more never sitting back and just enjoying or appreciating what they have in the moment.  I am grateful for every moment that I get to sit down at my keyboard writing words that I know will help change the lives of those who read what I write.  That's not arrogance talking, that's knowing that I am doing stuff that matters, and doing what I was created to do.  When you feel as though what you are doing has meaning for the rest of humanity and not just yourself, then you will be doing the stuff that really matters.

So what if?  Think about all the things you dream of and start going after them. Dreams are really the stuff that matters.  You have dreams because they are in fact stepping stones to your destiny.  Dreams matter, as do ideas, and things popping around in your imagination.  It is time that you focus on the things that matter and not on what did or didn't happen.  It's time to move forward and stop thinking about all the things that did or didn't happen.  It's simply time to move forward and start doing the things that really matter.  Trust me, you won't regret a single minute.