This year has been an eventful year – my goal at the beginning of 2009 was for ‘abundance’ – in every area of my life – whether work, home, friends, family – I wanted to see richness and quality in everything that’s important in my life and that has happened in many ways.  I’ve appreciated the joys of a brilliant family and friends through difficult times, have seen the business develop, most of all engaged in the roller coaster ride of life and feel excited about 2010.

The last few weeks I’ve heard many times people discussing Christmas and specifically this years emphasis on a lean Christmas – from buying no presents and in effect ignoring the festive season – to all out indulgence and dealing with the consequences come January 2010…..as I’ve listened to these debates it’s brought me back to what is Christmas all about?

I love the festivities and the sentiment of Christmas – have been watching the old classics like Scrooge, Muppets Christmas, Santa Claus and of course The Grinch.  The theme that always comes through is generosity – but what does that mean?  Is it monetary or maybe something else…..?  The great philosopher The Grinch puts it like this in his moment of revelation, when after all his attempts to ruin Christmas for the Who’s the following happens….

Then the Grinch heard a sound rising over the snow, it started in low then started to grow
But the sound wasn’t sad it sounded merry – very
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, was singing without any presents at all
He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming – it came after all
Somehow it came just the same
And the Grinch with his grinch feet ice cold in the snow
Stood puzzling and puzzling – how could it be so?
“It came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes or bags”
And he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore, and the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before
“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more”
And what happened then in Whoville they say, the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day.

Generosity is about giving of you – maybe in the form of presents, maybe time, attention, affection or hospitality, it maybe putting aside those things that irritate you or those family feuds in order to connect and engage with those around you.  This year whether you choose to spend less or not let’s look at how generous we can be in telling those who are important to us, just how important they are…

I always love hearing from people who have found a nugget of truth in these newsletters, that has helped them grow and develop and I always welcome your feedback. Please simply This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit this article directly where you can add your comments.

Design your Future…

As you prepare to wind up the end of this year perhaps you feel challenged to make next year a turning point for you.

Stop for a moment and think about your business and personal life and ask yourself these very important questions…

• Am I consistently making the most of my life?
• Am I unconsciously sabotaging my own success in any way?
• Am I making the impact I want on the world around me?
• Do I believe success is still possible in my life or have I left it too late?
• Will I ever experience true fulfillment?

If you seem stuck or limited in any areas of your life, and would like to move towards total success – then it’s time for you to read on, take action and design your future !

If you would like to see your dreams become reality then you need to take a step to making it happen. Begin by accepting this invitation now to start the journey to design your future.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Kind Regards

Nicola Marshall