As we move into 2016 I find it the perfect time to look back at the last year to see where I have been. I look at the roads I have travelled, the choices I've made, the joys and sorrows I've experienced, as well as the success and failure I have enjoyed, and endured. I re-evaluate the different relationships in my life. I take the time to see which ones are running smoothly, and which ones have been bumpy. I also look at those that no longer seem to be working.

It has been a good year for me. I am grateful for all the support others have given me. I am thankful for the many kindnesses that have been extended to me. 2015 was the first year without my beloved partner who accompanied me through bliss and disappointment for 37 years. I learned how to make my grief manageable by asking for help from the Creator, the good spirits that work with me and through me, family, friends and community.

I have had many opportunities to ask for help in 2015. With the help of others, friends on both side of the veil, I launched a website and created a Fan page on Facebook. I have been able to reach out and share inspiration, hope and strength with others. Teaching, doing readings, healing sessions, and working with the bereaved have given me the opportunity to be of greater service. My commitment to spiritual work has lessened the void that loss created. My work has taken on a life of its own. It has given me the opportunity to learn many things about myself, both my strengths and shortcomings.

I look forward to a New Year that is filled with possibilities. In order to have new opportunities I’ve had to leave behind the things that hold me back. I can't bring old resentments and judgments with me into the New Year and expect that things will be different than they were before. It's not the calendar day that makes the difference. It's the work I have done on myself that allows me to create the change I want.

My willingness to let go of the old, the broken parts of me that no longer work, gives me a fresh start. I can't expect to hold onto outdated or toxic attitudes and get different results just because it is a New Year. If I want results, the inside has to match the outside. I’ve had to clean up my act in order for the universe to give me a New Year filled with hope and possibilities. I have had to let go of a few archaic beliefs, outdated opinions, closets and a basement full of excess, as well as tweak and adjust my behavior in relationships.

As 2016 comes into sight most of us make resolutions, swear off bad habits, and convince ourselves that things will be different in the New Year. We don't want the same hardships we have already endured. We don't want illness and disillusionment. We want something brand new, something that sparkles and isn't broken. We want the chance to start with a clean slate.

Perhaps these first days of 2016 is the perfect time to look into your heart and shine a light on what you see. You may want to join me in reviewing the year. It won't take long. It just requires being in tune with the rhythm of your own heart, your spiritual heart. Quieting the mind and taking a few deep breaths should get you there.

Our guides, our loved ones on the spirit side of life, and the Great Mystery are with us. We are not alone. We can trust that we are safe to look at what lies within. We can look at the brilliance as well as the darkness. We can look at what rings true with who we are, and what sounds a false note. The brilliant, joyful self as well as the wounded, dark fragments are all a part of the tapestry of our lives.

In this healing space, filled with the light of the Creator’s love, we can let go of what stands between us and our happiness. We can embrace that which is working. We can bless and let go that which is not. In this sacred space we can forgive pain and heartache. We can breathe in joy and love. We can ask that our highest good be revealed to us in the New Year.

All year long we can come back to this wonderful, sacred place in our heart. We can revisit our hearts any time we choose. The healing has already begun. Change is already on its way. I wish everyone a wonderful year. I wish you peace, love and joy in 2016.