I know that everyone is either partying hard, out and about and thus not reading blog posts, or already in bed. I’m not one to judge, so whatever floats your boat…

Or you’ve been busy and only now are finding your way to reading this.

So I’m going to keep it short and sweet.

When you do happen to stumble upon this post, I hope that you’re having a wonderful entry to the year 2013.

It happens once. We’ll never see it (2013) again. So while it’s here, why not make the best of it?

I’ve always been a reflective person who makes resolutions, and while I won’t share specifics, I do think it’s important to share broader themes.

Initially I was going to go with Change, but quite frankly each and every year is filled with change.

Whether you’re new parents or newly empty-nested, switching careers or switching continents, starting anew or starting a new fill-in-the-blank, you’re probably up to your eyeballs in change.

Yeah, me too.

Change is present in virtually everyone’s life, no matter how it appears to others on the outside.

Believe me, I learned that firsthand this year. Big, in-your-face Time.

2012 was a year in which so many wonderful, exciting, fantastic things happened. And a year in which a number of some downright awful things occurred. Sometimes almost at the same time, often sequentially, even simultaneously.

I’ve had so much thrown at me this year that at times I almost didn’t think I could handle it. I’ve been knocked back, knocked down and knocked every which way.

But I did. I got up. I employed every single trick and tip and suggestion to maintain/enhance/ conjure up any remnant of emotional resilience I could possibly summon.

And I kept going.

It worked. And thankfully it’s still working.

I’m praying that the toughest parts are past, but honestly I know that there still will be tough times ahead.

But that’s okay. Whatever I’m dealing with, there are others dealing with far worse.

Believe me, in my darkest hours it took every ounce of strength to try and remember that. And when you do keep that in mind, you realize that you have no control over what comes your way. It just does, and you do your best to deal with it.

When you remember that others are feeling/hurting/suffering with worse, you become aware that you could encounter more than what you’re dealing with, you may well be thrown on your back but that sooner or later, you still might just find your way through to the other side.

So back to Change, reflections and my New Year’s Resolutions.

I realized that my personal and professional resolutions fall into the following three broad themes which will lead the way into 2013:

1. Centering – in body, mind, soul. More on this in posts to come.

2. Creating – I’ve got a few things I want to complete, some new cool ones to start, and new directions I wish to pursue. I’m a wonderfully squishy, scary combination of excited, thrilled, nervous and apprehensive. Can’t think of a better mix.

3. Community – whether it’s your nuclear family, broader relations, neighborhood, village/town/city, old friends, new friends, colleagues or the wider world, community matters. So I’m going to be concentrating on it throughout 2013.

So rather than slap up a photo of fireworks, pretty bodies in slinky outfits, champagne flutes or raucous partying, I prefer to show you a walking trail that I’ve been making great use of lately. I feel safe there.

It’s where I’ve done some of my deepest thinking, my most heartfelt contemplation, and my most plaintive pleas. After the passage of time, it has became the scene of initially tentative and then rapidly accelerating planning and scheming and dreaming big.

I’m grateful for these woods, I’m grateful for what I’ve been through (yes, every little bit of it), I’m grateful for what I’ve learned and I’m grateful for you here reading this.

Happy New Year’s and May You Have a Rocking 2013!!!