Welcome to the beginning of a new reality. We are entering another year of tremendous change, both personally and culturally. Who you are right now will be different than who you will be next January.

Take stock of yourself at this moment. How do you feel? What concerns you most? What life do you seek? Be fully present as you step into the hurried current of 2010. It will take wisdom, wellness and awareness to navigate its chaotic currents.

This year will forever transform our existence. We may lose more jobs, face financial hardship, health challenges and sudden endings of relationships. Institutions we relied on might disappear; people we placed our faith in could prove unworthy of that trust. The unexpected will become the familiar.

These struggles are real but the potential to gain from them is profound and long-lasting. Nothing outside of us holds the truth to our happiness. When things we believe in crumble, when we lose grip on the handles of external control that dominate our lives, we are finally free to experience who we really are and begin to build a more meaningful, satisfying existence.

Change is inevitable and will be particularly illuminated in 2010. It is how we manage this change that will determine the people we become—and the planet we inhabit. There has never been a more important time to take care of your body. Invest in your health with good foods, physical activity and nutrition. Seek innovative ways to dilute relentless stress. There are many people waiting to assist. You will need your health more than anything else to sustain you this year.

Honestly share your experiences with others and seek solutions together. Open to new ideas. Own what is happening in your life, however difficult. It is important to engage these experiences completely so that you are not swayed by fear and anger, but instead learn to empower yourself through tolerance, kindness, compassion, and gratitude. We have strayed too far from these words.

We're heading into extraordinary times. Not for the faint of heart, but for the full of heart. Follow the nagging goodness within yourself, regardless of how far that seems to take you from the pack. Everything is about to change. And that’s a good thing.

Enjoy the ride!