Let’s welcome a new year!

As I packed my Christmas decorations this weekend, eating the last chocolates from visiting loved ones, feeling the presence of departed family and friends, I am wondering why life seems so empty all of sudden. This mellowness does not have to tarnish the fulfilling memories of happy festivities. It does not have to trigger a pang of gloom. The trick is that the magic of the holiday season lives on when we know how to avoid settling back into routine.

We can all discover the pleasures of everyday existence, and rest assured that the cycle of regular celebrations will return like seasons orchestrating our years. There is something so comforting in remembering how life just like celebrations are cyclical. Reverting to the holiday highlights and what we value most, such as the generosity and gratitude of Christmas, or the simplicity and forgiveness to stay home alone for a quiet time off when everyone else is buzzing all over the world, or the joys of traditions or even the time of volunteering for the less fortunate can help us stay connected to the spark of special times.

You will find tremendous excitement in building the days and months to come this year integrating the joys and values that you just reflected upon, whether you experienced them fully or wished they were part of the fun – togetherness, magic, beauty, peacefulness. They can all be called upon all year long, if your heart is in it and your imagination triggered. Let it be a magical year!