Happy New Year 2017?

Happy New Year, my friends!

As a so-called “Futurist”, I've looked forward an entire year and am posting this from January 1st, 2017. (C'mon, suspend your disbelief.)

I thought it would be helpful for you to know how 2016 ended up. After all, I want you to enter 2017 with even greater enthusiasm!

You started the year with an incredible attitude. It’s like there was a palpable energy charged with the fuel of your biggest and most audacious hopes and dreams. If you could have seen it with your own eyes, you would have marveled at the very sight!

With intentions set and plans made, you charged forward to do that which you do best… deliver value to the world around you by harnessing the power of your passions, talents, skills and abilities. And there was no way you were going to do it without allowing your personality; that which makes you, you; lead the way!

So how did things turn out?

Well, you know very well that if I tell you the future then you might change it. Doc Brown would agree that doing so could be catastrophic. So while I will be cautious about ripping a hole in the space/time continuum, there are a couple observations I can safely share.

First of all, I want you to know that I am proud of you for giving it all you had. Of course, the results were as varied as each of you.

For some of you, you discovered that you had more in you than you thought! You didn’t see those obstacles coming, but you hurdled them like a pro and pushed through to accomplish your goals. Your plans came together as though they were being orchestrated by someone or something bigger than yourself. You had more success in your business than ever before, and we all watched in awe as you made your mark. Well done!

Others of you got smacked around quite a bit and it appeared that you didn’t have what it took. You may have even convinced yourself of that. But you were wrong.

The challenges that you encountered this year have shaped you and prepared you for what is to come next. While some events and circumstances may have left you asking the question “why?”, rest assured that not a single one of those experiences will go to waste.

It wasn’t that you didn’t have what it took. Life just happened. Wonderful, unpredictable life. And as difficult as it may be to understand, you were exactly where you needed to be in order to make you who you are becoming.

You see, you are a champion and you were MADE to do the thing you do. You did the best you could, and that was enough.

Don’t be discouraged, because the chipping away of the coal in your life is carefully and methodically revealing the diamond within. And oh, how I see you shining! Those trials from 2016 are going to make what’s to come even sweeter. Trust me on this.

But more importantly, I’m proud of you for how you showed up in the world. With another year under your belt, you have taken with it many new experiences, as well as the wisdom that came from those experiences. You are still you, but an improved version of yourself!

What I appreciate most is how you chose authenticity in 2016. For those who were already comfortable in your own skin, it showed. You just were who you were, and people who appreciated it were mesmerized by your gravitational pull. You inspired others!

But for many of you, shedding pretense and the idea that you had to be something in order to win the approval of others became a call to freedom. It was as though you woke up to the reality that you are awesome just as you are! And you recognized that you could show your imperfections to the world, both in person and on social media.

Watching that take place was equally inspiring because your newfound transparency made it safe for others to do likewise.

Whether you accomplished your goals for 2016 as you had hoped or not, one thing is for sure. The most valuable things you will have discovered aren’t things at all. Rather, you will cherish the relationships in your life more than ever.

While it is true that people do come and go from our lives, when you look back at the highs and lows, you will discover the common thread being the family, friends and associates who shared those experiences with you.

And so, with the albeit fictional perspective of January 1, 2017 in my mind, I encourage you to make 2016 your year.

Aim high. Take risks. Celebrate your victories. Get up when you fall down. Hang out with people who get you. Cry freely when the tears come. Tell someone you love them. Live today. Play a LOT. And do good stuff.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May you see 2016 as ripe with opportunity, sweet to the taste and overflowing with life and love!

You’re here for a purpose. Now go live it out.