2004 - A Year to Adore!

Lousy poetry aside, the title of this posting is what it's all about. Here we are, just a few weeks away from the end of another year. And what kind of year was it for you? Hopefully, it was one to remember - in a good way. So that's the exercise: Take out a clean sheet of paper and write down as many things as you can that helped make 2004 a Year to Adore! Go ahead, I'll wait!

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Come on, keep going. My challenge, in fact, is for you to come up with 52 reasons that made 2004 A Year to Adore. Sure that may seem like a lot, but they don't have to be BIG things - it's perfectly okay if they're the tiniest of things. The only requirement is that you're glad they happened.

So make yourself a nice hot cup of coffee, or tea, (or pour yourself something cool and refreshing to drink) and go stream-of-consciousness for 10 minutes or so. See how many smiles you can remember from the year. And should you get stuck, simply stand up, take a few deep breaths, put a smile on your face, and see what else you can remember.

Need some help getting started? Simply apply the "Noun Game" - a technique I wrote about back in April. What you do is think about the people, places, and things (in that order) that were part of your life this year. Let yourself "tune in" to the happy memories associated with them and before you know it, you're list will be complete. This is an especially helpful technique if you happen to find the Holiday Season a particularly stressful time of year.

Finishing the year on a high note makes good sense because: (a) it's a nice way TO end the year; and (b) it sets the stage for an even better next year. So as this is my last blog entry of the year, thank you all for your continued support and readership. And here's looking to 2005 as the year to really thrive!