As I start 2012, I have reactivated my website account and been gearing up for a great year in Real Estate.  I looked over this posting from last year and find it's still applicable.  Perhaps even more so.  I know a lot of people had a rough 2011, but if you look for the golden nuggets I'm sure you'll find something.  Gratitude is just so important for finding those nuggets.  So Happy New Year and I wish you tons of gratitude in 2012. Here is last year's post:

2010 is winding to an end and it’s been such a year, that I’ve been spending a lot of time pondering what it’s all been about. I’ve heard that the way to measure your success is not how you stack up against anyone else, but how things are as compared to the same time last year. 

        Since I started delving into the Law of Attraction and The Secret several years ago, I am noticing that I draw like-minded people to me everyday.  It’s funny.  People will surprise you.  You’ll be talking with someone you’ve known a long time and suddenly, out of the blue, they’ll say something that alerts you to the fact that “they’re one of us” as a new, dear friend of mine likes to say.  Or, they tweet something that resonates with you and you realize, “Huh! There’s another one!”  Just more proof to me that we draw the people into our lives that we’re supposed to.  

         As I sit here pondering why we sometimes don’t immediately recognize these people, I wonder if it’s a closet religion or something.  “Yeah, we’re believers in this crazy idea that you manifest your destiny by your thoughts, but don’t tell anybody – don’t want to be judged by the non-believers.”  Or, maybe, it’s just that you don’t believe it strongly enough and you’re keeping your options open by not committing to it outloud.  I imagine there are some that jump right in putting the Law into practice, while some of us have to take little baby steps, but that’s what life is, really, little baby steps.  Why rush to the end? Why not enjoy the journey?

         I was somehow directed to an article today about living a balanced life and thought about putting the link onto Twitter and Facebook, but I then decided, “No. I want to write what I think!” (Oh my, am I committing this outloud?)  My journey is one of three steps forward and one step back most of the time as I take on the challenge of releasing my inner demons, those hated “shoulds”, and the harsh words of others that stuck years ago – you know the ones, those words that love to flit through your head the minute something bad or embarrassing happens to you.  I do believe in the power of positive thoughts and I like to wax philosophical sometimes and look at the bigger picture, especially when I see friends and family struggling with the mundane, day to day stuff that could crush a soul if allowed.  So, I’m gonna wax a bit.

         We are all going through tough times worldwide.  Some have challenges and hurdles greater than others, but all in all, we’re in this together and each of us is exactly where we are supposed to be.  Is the Universe trying to reach us? Are we not hearing?  Do we HAVE to beat the rat in this race? Or, can we look at these happenings as a message to slow down and find our own peace and balance?  I looked at the word Balance as an acronym and came up with this:

Be present

Act as if

Live with zeal

Assume responsibility

No can be a positive word

Choose wisely

Enjoy every day

       Practice, practice, practice. And, more importantly -- Be gentle with yourself.

1.  Commune with Nature at Kings Landing Park

2.  Shop Farmers Markets for Local Produce and Handmade Goods

3.  Stroll the boardwalks at Chesapeake Beach, North Beach, Solomons or Battle Creek Cypress Swamp

4.  Learn about life in the Bay at the Chesapeake Biological  Laboratory in Solomons

5.  Picnic on the water's edge

6.  Trace the history of railroads at the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum

7.  Hunt for fossils along the Chesapeake Bay

8.  Visit a one-room schoolhouse

9.  Paddle the Chesapeake Bay or the Patuxent River

10.  Study over 100 species of birds in their natural habitat

11.  Visit the Arthur Storer Planetarium

12.  Tour a historic church

13.  Watch sailboat races from the Solomons Riverwalk on Thursday nights throughout the summer

14.  Spend an afternoon fishing or crabbing

15.  Explore the sites on the Star-Spangled Banner Trail

16.  Hike 15 miles of trails at American Chestnut Land Trust

17.  Trace early history at the the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, an archaeological and environmental preserve

18.  Wander through antique shops and unique boutiques

19.  Experience the outdoors at our many parks and recreation areas

20.  Bike along rolling hills or one of many paved paths