In just a few days we will be entering a new year, 2012.  I realize that you will possibly be inundated by all kinds of ideas about resolutions, goal setting, and self-improvement, along with a slew of offerings for new planners, journals, calendars, workbooks and apps to keep you on track.

And I am the last person to criticize or make light of any of this, since my business (and passion) is personal growth, and I am a workbook/planner/calendar/app JUNKIE myself.

However, in pondering what to write about for this last blog of the year, I just COULD NOT get motivated about writing ONE MORE article for you to add to the pile of “let’s-get-this-next-year-right-finally” articles that you may see.

So….this morning I was reading (actually re-reading) one of my favorite books (and a gift from my Sweetheart this year), The Alchemist.  And the following quote just JUMPED off the page at me.

…..when Narcissus died, the goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.

“Why do you weep?”, the goddesses asked.

“I weep for Narcissus,” the lake replied.

“Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus,” they said, “for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand.”

“But…was Narcissus beautiful?” the lake asked.

“Who better than you to know that?” the goddesses said in wonder.  “After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!”

The lake was silent for some time.  Finally, it said:

“I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful.  I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.”

(from The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho)

***

This little fable reminded me that we see things in others because they are present in us.

Do you know that the things you admire in others are easy for you to see because they are qualities that you yourself possess?

In fact, if you make a list of the qualities you admire in others, those will be qualities that you possess even though often you won’t openly or easily recognize them in yourself.

I recently received a question from a reader wanting to know how she can “be” to attract the wonderful man she deserves.  Another reader acknowledged her challenge was believing that she is truly lovable “just as she is”, the connection between these two ideas is that when we can believe that we are enough, we WILL attract the love and the life we desire.

Going in to the New Year, my wish for you is that your wonderful qualities will shine brightly, not just to others, but to you.

That your own unique brand of awesomeness will become something that you naturally recognize and take advantage of, for your own benefit as well as the benefit of the world.

That when you admire a quality in someone else you will own in it yourself and use it to make your world, our world, a better place.

That your blessings, talents, and gifts would provide you with abundance, joy, peace and happiness.

That you will feel comfortable with the wonderful amazing qualities that are uniquely yours.

I wish you a New Year full of Love & Magic,

Cindie