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This is, in fact, notes I wrote to myself late one evening last week. I decided to allow you into my head just a little bit. These my instructions to me on how to look back at the last year. So with that, here we go.

Tonight I'm seated on my cushion beside our family Christmas tree, enjoying its soft light. It is also the winter solstice, a time of reflection and renewal. I was about to begin my meditations, but I picked up my iPad and instead began to write. It is important for us, me most assuredly included, to reflect upon the past year. We need to do this with no emotional attachment so we can remain in the moment and not allow ourselves to try to live in the past and lose our moment now.

As we savor our precious moments, we can recall them to ground ourselves when we need it, which we all will sometimes we do need to recall our precious moments, our little paradises, our moments of profound peace and love. These are the threads in the tapestry of our life. So savor them, but be cautious about trying to go live there again.

We need to reflect on our career and business successes too, and learn from them without becoming attached in succumb to living in the past again because it feels good. We need to reflect on the less successful or pleasant parts of the year. These moments are as important to our growth, happiness and peace as the good times again observed them without judgment, repulsion, fear, or hurt.

These moments are precious too, and also a part of the tapestry of our life. We remember they are now in the past and show us in important lesson in impermanence that bad times are temporary. But take heart and embrace these moments. And if they still need comforting, embrace them, as you would a toddler who is suffering, crying and looking to you for comfort.

Comfort these moments too, and comfort yourself. Learn to love and console yourself. Sitting here, I realize there were many times this was the most depressing time of the year in my life. Life is tough and without a sound path, it can just be really hard. But this year I can sit beside our tree and smile. I credit this to new friends, old friends, new books, new experiences, new outlooks, and a new beginning in a mindful lifestyle.

I'm learning to embrace the down times as much as the good times. Learning from both equally and possibly even more from the dark. I'm learning to accept the impermanence of all things, both the good and the bad. Life is a dance that whirls us through the light in the dark. Sometimes in that dance, the light leaves and we learn the steps of the dance of life from the light.

And then sometimes the dark will lead. And we learn this depth of the dance of life from the dark. But it is the whole dance we must learn. And I would encourage you to learn the dance and not be overly concerned about who is today's teacher. If it seems I talk too much about the dark, it is because there is no light without the dark.

And while the dark may seem a slap in the face, we do not exist without it as much as we do not exist without the light. The light is our joy, our happiness, our successes, the beauty in all that we perceive that makes our lives worthwhile. But without that contrast, life would be a dull, gray blur. So as I sit here tonight, friends, I ask you to join me in reflecting on the past year, incorporating the lessons we learned from the good and the not so good, and importantly, hanging on to those precious moments of light for the occasion.

When you feel that darkness is all around, grasp the light and allow it to envelop you, be happy in it. These are the moments. These truly are the moments. Be happy friends. Live today. Live well. Live fulfilled. Live with gusto. And please accept my best wishes for the new year. May it be filled with peace and happiness.