My journey began with the recognition that I am not just one self but two selves. One self is connected to the past, and the second self connects to who I could become in the future. C. Otto Scharmer

There have simply been too many tragedies in our nation. The nightly news is filled with stories of negative issues from across the country and around the globe. Like any box office Hollywood hit we made it to the edge of the fiscal cliff and we're still not sure if we are the better for it. This all comes at a time when some people are suffering from personal woes that weigh heavily on their minds. They clawed their way to the finish line of 2012 like they were running the New York City Marathon.

The New Year always brings refreshed hope that things will be better. It gives us all the proverbial clean slate. As we look at the hardships around us, we start to appreciate our lives a little more. It shouldn't take that much effort to appreciate what we have but it does. Some people get excited for what the New Year will bring. Others look back on life and wonder how time flew by so quickly and reflect on the people who helped get them where they are.

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