Wow, what a year it was! For some it was fantastic, and for
others, well, “what a year it was.”
Once again, let me take a quick moment to share with you how
much I have enjoyed all of the emails I have received this past
year from our community. It has been tremendous and I appreciate
each of you for taking the time to write.
I share that with you because as we have been building up to the
end of 2010 and the ringing in of 2011, many of our readers
continue to write regularly and have recently sent emails with a
similar and consistent theme: “what a year it was!”
What usually followed those statements are messages from people
lamenting on how very tough and hard the year has been. “2011 just
can’t get here soon enough,” for some folks so they can “get all of
the badness behind them.” People have struggled financially while
some have lost jobs or went through the entire year looking for
work without any success. Others have wrestled with illness and in
some cases even dealt with the loss of a friend or loved one. “2010
just needs to go away,” writes more than one reader.
Here’s what I found interesting, though. For the most part
everyone who wrote to me about the misery of 2010 was equally or
even more optimistic for better things to come their way in 2011.
They have hope. How awesome is that? I get so excited as I read
each message, watching as the writer makes the transition from
wallowing in the woes and harsh realities of this past year to
their words taking on new life and energy filled with hopes and
dreams of a better tomorrow.
As we celebrate the good of last year and try and forget the bad
and even the ugly associated with 2010, we need to believe and
rejoice with a hopeful heart knowing that we have hope in our
future. And as Leadership Guru John Maxwell says, “If there is hope
in the future, there is power in the present.” So we need to give
ourselves that power in the present, the power to hope and dream,
the power to plan and prepare, and the power to fully expect a
better year in 2011.
Dr. Denis Waitley says it this way: “We have to plan to win,
prepare to win, and then, and only then, can we fully expect to
win.” So we have two choices, we can live in the past and
commiserate with each other about “What a year it was,” or we can
lift one another up with the comfort of “Oh what a year it will
be!”
Thanks again, keep those emails coming. I would love to hear all
about your hopes and dreams and how you will plan, prepare, and
expect to win in 2011 at gotonorton@gmail.com and together
let’s make it a better than good New Year. Happy New Year,
everyone!
Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former
president of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and founder of
www.candogo.com.
