The holidays are over. Friends and relatives have retreated to their own homes. Quiet settles in. The fireplace is glowing. I sit here sipping a glass of wine. Outside, the snow is gently falling covering everything with soft cover of white—so pristine, so beautiful. The branches of the trees are gently sloping from the weight of the newly fallen snow. I feel feelings of peace, contentment, and mellowness.

Some people may feel otherwise. They may feel stressed out from the holidays. They may have spent too much money. They may have                   argued with a family member or they may have been disappointed with a present. They may feel exhausted and don’t know how they will             get through the long winter months ahead.      

One thing is certain: Our thoughts determine our feelings. An event occurs. At that point we have a choice as to what meaning we will give that event. We have a choice as to whether we define it as positive, negative or somewhere in between—whether we will feel peaceful and contented and/or whether we will feel the winter doldrums. If we give the event a negative interpretation, and allow ourselves to dwell on the negative, we certainly will feel down in the dumps, sad, disappointed or plain out depressed. If we define the event as more positive, and dwell on the more positive aspects of our experiences, we will then feel more settled, and possibly more cheerful, about the winter months ahead.

2010 brings a new decade--A decade when we can set goals, make plans and choose New Beginnings. Couples can choose to enhance their         relationship; siblings can opt to get along better with less arguing; we can choose to work together more collaboratively at the workplace.