Year end 2025

 Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters,

    There are many endings in life: the end of a day, a month, a season, a relationship, a career, another year, and life. 2015 was my mother’s last year. She celebrated her birthday on December 28, and three weeks later her life ended. She wasn’t sick and took no medication. She was ready to go. This year I closed my office in Verona after 21 years. I loved that space, but it was no longer financially feasible to keep it, since I didn’t use it enough. It was a sad ending and affected me more than I expected. And even though I chose to leave it and selected the date to move, which kept changing, it took months to let it go. 

     Time moves too fast! Where did ten years go? This year went by in a flash. Before I knew it, I was looking at holiday decorations in the stores and saying, “Oh no, not already!” It's been a crazy year, with the renaming of this and that, taking away research support, and grabbing people off the street and sending them to foreign countries. I hope the new year is calmer and more positive. 

    Life is complicated and is filled with emotions, dreams, desires, memories, and baggage that either drives us or hold us back every day.  I remember spending the isolation of 2020 binge-watching the series “THIS IS US.”  The characters, whose lives were complex, all grew up in the same house and yet were all so different. They shared their perspective of their childhood, the role the other siblings played, and how they were treated. No two were alike, as they had different perceptions of the past. I had a similar situation with my only brother, who passed away unexpectedly in 2017.  His perception of our childhood was very different than mine.  I never got to say goodbye or resolve the issues. Before I knew it, it was the end. Don’t let this happen to you.

      As we near the end of this year, take a look back and identify the positives. The negative will always arise about what we could have done better. The “what ifs” don’t matter unless we learn from them and change our behavior going forward.  Now is the time to make changes, as the end is here.  The new year is an opportunity to begin differently. What will you change?

PERCEPTION IS REALITY

     Have you ever asked someone to describe how they perceive/see you? It may be completely different than how you see yourself. Perception, which is an interpretation of a situation, is reality. Marketers and advertisers know this concept and try to understand how people think when creating branding and advertising. How will the audience perceive the message they are receiving?  What is your perception of you? How does it compare to what others think of you? I once heard a female entrepreneur say, "I don't see myself as a business owner." Her view of herself was not in alignment with what she was doing. We view our lives through personal filters, derived from past experiences, current circumstances, and values. Why is perception important? Because how you perceive yourself either drives you to realize your dreams and goals, or holds you back. You can perceive yourself as strong, capable, and worthy, or inferior and undeserving. What is your perception of you?

YOUR REALITY

    It's your life, your reality, which is shaped by your perceptions. Just because others don’t understand it doesn’t make it less real. I have a good life, but like everyone, I have my issues that I need to learn to accept. Acceptance is important because it frees you from trying to change that which you cannot control. Everyone makes mistakes or bad decisions, so it’s easy to focus on the negative. What do you need to accept? What can you change? And, what do you need to release what is no longer serving your highest and best good? Gratitude is a must and can change many things for the better. I try every day to focus on the good things in my life. I know that for some people life is very challenging right now, and it’s difficult to find the good. My heart goes out to them. Be grateful every day, as many times as you can, for the good things in your life.  Be grateful for the things that you want as though they have already happened. You will attract a positive outcome. Make changes that are good for you before it’s too late. Honor you! You are the most important person in your life.

BE IN THE MOMENT

     One of the more difficult things to do is to be present in your life.  We are so consumed with what is going to happen in the future, or what we didn’t do in the past, that we can miss the present. You know you are not fully present when you leave your house and can’t remember if you closed the garage door.  Or, when you walk into your kitchen to get a glass of water and can’t remember why you are there.  There are times I am so busy and consumed that I miss the small details and life's connections. Being fully present is grounding and can alleviate lots of anxiety. Are you always thinking about the next day, the next move? How present are you? If you are not in the present, try it now.

BE DIRECT – JUST SAY IT

      As difficult as it may be, gently but firmly expressing your feelings to someone, particularly when the relationship is important to you, can be very freeing. Not only do you hear yourself saying what’s been spinning around in your head, but also, you can stop rehearsing and let it go. No one knows how dense your filters are or what you might be protecting yourself against. They may be oblivious to the damage they are causing. Therefore, sharing your inner thoughts or just telling someone how what they do makes you feel, is very healthy. Don’t be accusatory because that will only widen the gap. You can say, “When you do……it makes me feel…….! Be honest with yourself and others in your communication. Remember, the end is closer than you think. Better to fix it now before it’s too late.

FORGIVENESS

   “To err is human, to forgive is Divine,” Alexander Pope.  The most important person you need to forgive is you, for all that you think you did wrong. And then forgive others because the only person who is hurt by the anger and resentment is you. If the hurt or disappointment comes from someone who is no longer in this world, it’s really time to forgive them. Write a letter saying everything you ever wanted to say to them, and then burn it.  On our Monday calls, we often talk about forgiveness, and someone mentioned how difficult it can be to forgive.  Think of something you have been holding onto, forgive all parties involved, and move on. End the torment for yourself.

THE END IS HERE

      Soon 2025 will exit and 2026 will arrive. What will the new year bring? What do you want for you? Don’t beat yourself up for what you think you did wrong or didn’t accomplish. Let it go and start anew.

      Life is unpredictable, and things happen. Make the most of every day. Write yourself a letter as though the year is already over and everything you wanted happened.  Write it in detail with passion and conviction. Thank you for reading this newsletter. I hope to hear from you.   HAPPY ENDINGS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing you only the best, now and in the future.