Candlemas 2010 offers unique, rich opportunities for clearing, visioning, and setting or empowering our intentions. Why? Because it follows a powerful lunar and solar eclipse cycle, and occurs in what Steve Nelson, author of Mythic Times, calls a 'Venus Year' -- a time in which "all things Venusian prosper." Let's look at the symbolism, in which we can ground ourselves for rich inspiration as we look into this Venus Year, 2010.

I have a love-hate relationship to conflict. I love it when things “work out,” but hate it when they don't. My fear of things not working out, of people's feelings getting hurt, or of me losing something important are usually high on my list of justifications for not saying certain things, not engaging in the conflict at all, or selling out on my deepest truth even in the midst of it.

We human beings live with the interesting paradox that we seem to want that which we can’t have and despise that which is readily available to us in abundance. Scarcity becomes attractive, and quantity is ignored. Whether it’s a car, a club, clothing, jewelry, or travel, when we have acquired or experienced things that others have not, we feel the value. On the other hand, if everyone has experienced something, we take it for granted. This can be important to us both personally and professionally.

There is a saying: "Pain pushes, until vision pulls." A vision reflects our sense of purpose. A clear vision is like our North Star, rich with a sense of who we are, what we're doing, and what we're doing it. It gives us a sense of direction and momentum, and guides inspired, efficient action. With our intention and attention on that vision, we navigate whatever is before us more easily, supported by the courage vision bestows.

Apparently January 25th is set to be the most depressing day of 2010. Called “Blue Monday” the Monday on the last week of January each year is the day when we’re most likely to feel down and lack-lustre. This is often attributed to the combination of debt from Christmas, cold and wet weather, suffering from colds and flu and the lack of a public holiday on the horizon! What can we do when we succumb to the Winter Blues? The usual distractions of overeating, drinking alcohol or vegging out in front of the TV that many of us are tempted by can lead to addition physical and emotional difficulties. What simple, sustainable alternatives are there?

As a motivational speaker for Fortune 500 companies and an Olympic gold medalist, I have seen what makes an individual most successful in the boardroom and on the slopes. Over the last five years, I have researched the similarities of forty different highly-successful individuals -- including the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Prince Albert of Monaco, Dr. Stephen Covey, Shaun White and many more. And no matter the field or endeavor, I have found The Turtle Effect philosophy at the core of everyone's success. This philosophy was taught to me by my mother, who told me that I could achieve anything I wanted. I always held it close and adapted it to every situation I encountered. I'd like to help people breathe in this confidence and share the secrets that are common to those at the top of their given field.

Many people are not able to articulate what they really want in life in clear and concise language. Oddly enough, people are generally pretty good at articulating what they don’t want. So it’s no wonder that a large percentage of the population go through life getting what they don’t want and don’t fully realize their goals and desires. You get what you focus on!

As we embark on another new year of life, I find myself experiencing a mixture of emotions about 2010. I'm excited about the possibilities of this New Year and inspired by the energy of creation that exists at this special time. Similar to last week, there is a magical quality to this first week of the New Year that I always appreciate.

Recently, I was in a meeting of executives and business owners. The conversation turned to work ethic and the length of their work day and work week. I heard several individuals who were intending to brag state, “I haven’t had a day off in six months,” or “I haven’t taken a vacation in five years.” In my mind, these ludicrous statements are like someone discussing car maintenance stating, “I haven’t changed the oil in my car since 1998,” or “I’ve ignored a Check Engine light on my dashboard for a whole year.” There’s a big difference between working smarter, working harder, or working longer.

Have you ever wondered if the debates, discussions and general conversations that occupy our consciousness most of the time are all essentially “small talk” when it comes to what’s really important? I’m not saying that constructive discussion about the crises facing us today – the economy, climate change, population growth, terrorism, environmental sustainability, and other such things - are not important. But don’t you have a nagging feeling that these situations – serious as they are – are simply symptoms of some larger crisis?

As we move into the second decade of the century the focus on leadership skills will be surpassed by an accountability for individual performance at all levels. Organizations will continue to need leaders, but those charged with setting the pace will lose some of their luster and the spotlight will shine more brightly on the need for every individual on the team to be more keenly aware of their own strengths and their own personal contribution to the company's success.

Whether you're into the Law of Attraction, cultivating a strong vision and brand, looking for improved communication, or wanting to experience better relationships and interactions with others, positive expectancy is an essential component of your approach.

As you go through the holiday season this year, try to live in the moment and enjoy each experience one at a time. Avoid the temptation to become over-committed and learn the power of the amazing two-letter word: no. Try to take a few days off before January 1st to reflect upon where you’ve been and where you want to go. Try to get out of your normal environment and eliminate all distractions so you are forced to reflect.

I've been speaking and writing about gratitude for almost ten years now – and I'm still amazed at how challenging it can be for me to focus on what I'm grateful for at times (especially when I'm feeling sorry for myself or complaining). I'm also blown away by how powerful and transformative gratitude is when we choose to pay attention to it, experience it, and express it.

With the holiday season upon us, and gift-giving a part of many traditions, many of us look for 'just the right gift' to give. Consider that one of the most valuable, precious gifts we have to offer is the gift of our full, true presence. So few of us experience the luxury of another person's full presence -- or our own -- that it's one of the most priceless gifts you can give.

During one of her shows a few years back, Oprah Winfrey made a profound and beautiful statement that I appreciated very much. She said, “We do shows about lots of ‘stuff' and my ‘favorite things,' but what people want more than anything else is to know that they're appreciated...that's the best gift of all.”

Despite what our political leaders insist on telling us, we all know deep down that persistent economic growth is no longer an option if humankind is to survive for very much longer on this planet. Yet it is not “growth” per se that is a bad thing when we consider what it really means. Growth is not about achievement, consumption, exploitation, manipulation, survival of the fittest, take-overs, domination, hierarchy, power or control. This is just what we’ve been led to believe through cultural conditioning and it is now so deeply ingrained that few of us can even imagine a different, more life-sustaining way of living and working. So, if growth is not about all of those parameters I’ve just mentioned, what is it really? And how does this relate to our personal and business lives?

No matter how many times I've been immersed in the creative process, or found myself in that tense, creative transition-space between something ending and something new beginning, I've felt the tension and an almost unbearable restlessness in it. After all, creativity and stepping into the unknown take a lot of courage, along with a sense of heartful conviction and a strong vision. And we find all of these within us.

The average American is 27 days from insolvency. This means that if you cut off their income, they will run out of cash within 27 days. As we face layoffs across the country and a very tight job market in which to find a new position, it is not surprising that people are going into a crisis mode. If you find yourself suddenly being one of these unfortunate statistics, there are several steps you can take that may help. First and foremost, don’t panic. Fear is never your friend, and panic always produces pain. Calmly take inventory of your current situation, and try to rationally and creatively answer the following questions.

We have been conditioned to seek leaders who can fill those heroic slots for us, leaders who are capable of taking strong committed stands in the tradition of World War II heroes Churchill and Roosevelt, civil rights heroes Anthony, Mandela and King and medical heroes such as Nightingale and Salk. But democracies have gotten used to electing prospective political superheroes and then sitting back and critiquing their performance – not too dissimilar to the way people engage in detailed Monday morning post-mortems of the weekend’s sporting events, often leveling criticism at their heroes.

As you think about and talk about your honest relationship to your body and your appearance, be kind to yourself. Many of us have a lifetime filled with negative thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about ourselves physically. And, as we're able to forgive ourselves, accept ourselves, and get real about this, we give ourselves access to transforming our relationship to our body and our life in a profound and positive way!

In looking for improvements and innovations we tend to focus our attention on what went wrong. We try to fix problems. In addition to fixing what is wrong we should spend time examining what is right. Look for success stories, talk to delighted customers, ask them what makes us better than the others and then build on that.

How do you define success? True, authentic success is not something defined by other people, but something that you have defined for yourself. Our deepest yearnings and values provide clues to the definition of success that is truest for us. Authentic success is woven from that which has real heart, joy, and meaning for us. It's an expression of our deepest purpose. What blocks authentic success, then?

If I had a dollar for every time during the past year I have heard someone say, “These are the worst economic times since the Great Depression,” I would have enough money to create my own stimulus package. I am well aware that there are many people hurting. With double-digit unemployment, the decline in the stock market, and the ongoing bleak forecasts, it can be alarming. As you go through your day today, commit to make these difficult times ones that you can look back on as the springboard to your future success.

For quite some time I’ve had a self righteous judgment that most people in our culture are way too shallow. I find myself regularly annoyed at what I consider to be a lack of depth around me – in the media, in politics, in business, in my industry, and even in my family and many of my personal relationships. As is often the case with most of our self righteous opinions, however, this judgment (as has become crystal clear to me recently) is really all about me and my own lack of depth, not about everyone else.

Balance is a good thing for bicycles, tightrope walkers and ballerinas. Toddlers need balance, as do the wheels on your car and those amazing young women who jump and spin on a four-inch wide balance beam in the Olympics. However: warning: Too much focus on balance will impede forward progress.

Remember the 1998 movie “Pleasantville” where the mainstream townspeople passed a resolution making it illegal to teach anything other than the “non-changes view” of history in the schools? The black, grey and white world of this 1950s town - where everything was “pleasant” - was invaded by two teenagers from the 1990s, touching off a revolution in self-expression which resulted in the arrival of color for the first time, setting off a huge outcry for a return to the good old days of certainty, pleasantness, routine, predictability and no color.

Is downshifting a spiritual act? Is deciding to live more in alignment with the needs of the planet, humanity and ourselves an act of defiance, a refusal to comply, to be “socially included” or is it maybe a shift towards a mode of living that supports both our personal spiritual growth and the raising of global consciousness?

When you have reevaluated both the top line and the bottom line, there is one more very fertile place to look for additional revenue, and this is in the area of productivity. Adding to the top line is like putting more fuel in the tank. Cutting expenses and adding to the bottom line is like throwing cargo overboard or shortening your trip. Increasing productivity is like tuning up your engine to get more out of the fuel you currently have while taking the same trip or even traveling farther.

Most of us think we need to "have" a certain thing or set of things (more money, love, time, experience, etc.), so that we can finally "do" something important (pursue our passion, start a business, go on vacation, create a relationship, buy a home, etc.), which will then allow us to "be" what we truly want in life (peaceful, fulfilled, inspired, generous, in love, etc.). In actuality, it works the other way around.

I often hear, I try thinking happy, positive thoughts, and it’s just not working. Many folks say, Positive affirmations don’t work. Remember the Stuart Smalley character on Saturday Night Live who made positive affirmations in the mirror? I do NOT want to be THAT guy! Then there are those who say that positive thinking does work and swear by the use of positive affirmations. Guess what – everyone’s right! A positive thought may or may not work. Powerful thoughts, on the other hand, do work. This Forward Thinking Gentle Reminder discusses the difference between a positive thought and a powerful thought, how to know if a thought is powerful, and some powerful thoughts we can choose to think.

If relationships are a mirror -- and they are -- what are yours reflecting back to you? Whether with people at work (boss, employees, clients), at home, or with yourself and particular areas of your life -- are your relationships hinting at untapped potential for growth, expression, refinement, meaning, creativity, harmony, and artistry? Imagine feeling more relaxed, more grounded, experiencing smoother interactions, more enjoyable relationships.

Resorting to cynicism seems to provide comfort or a palliative for the psyche. There’s an old saying that if you scratch a cynic you’ll find a disillusioned idealist underneath. This is how most cynics are born – out of some painful or disappointing event in their history. And they vowed never to try anything “idealistic” again. The cynic has adapted a prejudice against anything he or she judges to be idealist and is, therefore, predisposed to oppose anything that suggests things can be really better than they are.

I got an email a few months back from a woman on my ezine list who shared a great saying that she loves – “If it's worth doing, it's even worth doing wrong.” I laughed out loud when I got it and have been thinking about it ever since. What a great message.

Humanity, itself, creates an ongoing set of problems that are inevitably followed by solutions. These solutions create a new and ever-expanding set of problems. As you go through your day today, welcome opportunities disguised as problems, and seek the knowledge that is waiting to be known.

Is downshifting a spiritual act? Is deciding to live more in alignment with the needs of the planet, humanity and ourselves an act of defiance, a refusal to comply, to be “socially included” or is it maybe a shift towards a mode of living that supports both our personal spiritual growth and the raising of global consciousness?