Beginning the New Year With Intention

And what would that intention be? One word, of course -- gratitude. To anyone who reads my posts on a regular basis on Facebook, Twitter and here, this notion will come as no surprise. The notion of gratitude has permeated much of what I think and do for several months now.

And for a lot longer than that, I've been a huge believer in intention. What you throw out there into the universe -- good or bad -- will come back to you. I try to do everything with intention, from how I think to everyday mundane stuff like cooking. Yes, I cook with intention. I try to infuse every dish with intent and will.

Something else I do more and more is meditate, the focus of which is usually gratitude. If you're wondering why I do so much to foster gratitude, it's because I feel very fortunate to have all that I do. I have a terrific family, a lovely home, and my health. But besides all that, gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions we can experience.

If you're interested in doing a gratitude meditation yourself, there are plenty of free resources on the internet. You can try
Fragrant Heart, or here's one from YouTube.

You might be wondering what the heck this has to do with my books and writing. Well, nothing. Or everything. No, it doesn't specifically relate to any of my books. But I can tell you that I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had that have put my writing career on the road it's on.

We all have something we can be grateful for. What's yours?

Celebrate Well

'Tis the season of celebrations. between Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule and Kwanzaa, it seems you can't turn around in December without tripping over a holiday!

I try very hard to be respectful of all cultures and traditions because you never know who celebrates what.

I have a very diverse group of friends and I've been fortunate enough to learn about many cultures and different celebrations. One friend told me how her Swedish grandparents celebrate St Lucia Day, marking the day a young Christian girl was martyred for her faith in the middle ages.

Some of my Pagan friends gather for an all night vigil on the winter solstice to await the sun's return as the wheel of the year turns and the days start growing gradually longer.

There's Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and Christmas, oh my!

But the very best day for me this year will be New Years Day. It's not just about resolutions or celebrations. What I love most about that is the clean slate. The fresh start. It's about putting those photos from last year in a beautiful frame for display, then setting about to create new moments to cherish.

So whatever you celebrate, I hope you have fun. And I hope the coming year brings you all things wonderful and positive. To start the year off right, I'll give one commenter a copy of my latest release, The Surrogate Husband. Just sign up at the form below.
*** a Rafflecopter giveaway


Cheers!