It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times

If you remember, this is the first line in "Tales of Two Cities". I am so happy to put 2009 behind me. I can honestly say, it was the worst year of my life. At the same time, I have never had so much healing, both emotionally and spiritually. So this is my year of the worst that turned out to be the best. I think I finally understand what Charles Dickens was saying in his profound interpretation of life.

Hopefully everyone can take the lessons out of this year's upheavals. So many of us suffered losses, but I also see many people changing their attitude and turning more to their spiritual side for comfort and consolation instead of laying blame. And believe it or not, those are the ones who are pulling out of the wreckage this "economy" has caused. Now we just have to get everyone to believe in their ability to change what is happening in the future.

We, the people: that is who makes up this great country. If there is something wrong with it, it means we got it there. It didn't just magically happen. And we have to use all the positive energy we can to turn 2010 into a period of growth and healing for everyone.

With our new County Executive coming into office this month, I am personally guaranteeing my participation in helping this Island become healthier. I learned this year (the hard way) that the saying is correct: If you have your health, you do have everything. It was always my mission to get as many small business and schools as I could to install wellness and fitness programs. Now more than ever (and with the help of our new legislators) I am determined to push my way into the doors of as many offices as I can. Since this is a new decade, we should create a new paradigm, a standard that all can follow. One that ensures the future health of our children and ourselves. More on this issue in the months to come, but for now: I pray for all of us to find our way in 2010. Happy and Healthy New Year to Everyone! D.

Yesterday, a friend hurt me very much. My heart ached all day at the thought of his actions. Deep down, I don't believe he set out to hurt me. He was looking out for his own happiness and in the process, my feelings were tossed aside. I started asking myself, "Do I have the right to ask a friend to protect my feelings? Should I always consider that people are "human" and expect that they will fail me at some point, making it necessary to always protect myself?" Maybe hurting me was not his failure. Instead, could it be mine?

At my age, I should have been through this enough to understand the process, but it still hurts to lose someone you love and care for. Do we shut ourselves off, meaning; We keep our love and energy close to our hearts and not given so freely? Can we shut ourselves off and still have intimate relationships? How many times did I hurt a close friend and not even know it? In the game of life, who wins? The person with the most friends on facebook, or the person who maintains a single friendship the longest?

Since we are all human and will continue to be so, we can expect to move along in life and affect others, sometimes in a detrimental way. Almost every day, I ask myself to "do no harm" which is, essentially, the Hippocratic oath. Of course I am not a doctor, but since I coach, I am always afraid of the position I maintain in my clients' lives. I think it may be a great motto though for everyone, most especially for friends and family. If we think this way, how can we hurt anyone?

With the holiday season approaching, I would love to reach out to everyone I know and ask for forgiveness for anything I might have said or done to inflict even the smallest amount of discomfort. I have dedicated my life to helping others, but sometimes I am so focused on the goal, I may not see everything in between. Since this is the perfect time to remember Jesus' life and what he represented, (even if you don't believe he was the Son of God) I want to make a resolution to make every day I live and interact with people to count as a positive and for my energy to instigate goodness. More so, I want to forgive anyone else who knowingly, or unknowingly, hurt me.

We are all in this together, and no matter what, this year is going to be grueling if we don't come together for a common goal. Let's make it the year of friendship and help each other get through these tough times. After all, we don't have much else to rely on except love and friendship. The World is going to keep turning. It is up to us what energy we fill it up with. D.