02. January 2018

Lunar Events Promise Awesome Opening for 2018
Donna on a Winter ride
Happy New Year! I feel a little thrill writing this first post of a new year knowing all the possibilities that are out there waiting for us. This morning after a particularly lovely two-hour horse ride in the hills of San Juan Capistrano with my pal, Christine, I settled down to think about this coming year and to refine my goals list for 2018. In comparing it to my 2017 list, I did even better than I had hoped. Globally, 2017 was a hard year, offering many anxiety producing events. Though our US economy strengthened, and we thrilled to a solar eclipse, the year was still hard. However, a celestial extravaganza projected for 2018 offers us a fine chance for reflection and hope.

On January 1-2, we get to enjoy a Wolf Moon (the first full moon of the New Year) and then later in the month, a Blue Moon (the second full moon in a month). That's not all! We'll also see a full lunar eclipse! It's a bit amazing to get two full moons in one month, and our Wolf Moon will also be a Super Moon, appearing to be 14-30% larger than it usually does! 

 Since the heavens are lining up for us, I think we should celebrate this symbolic nod from above. Folklore has it that the Native American tribes in the northeast noticed that during the first full moon, around what we call January, when the days are the shortest, that the hungry wolves were howling at the moon more than usual. Thus, the name, "Wolf Moon." It was considered an omen directing humans to listen to their soft internal signals; a chance to improve oneself, and to strengthen one's relationships.


For me the New Year is always an opportunity to plan. (I am a lover of lists!) In recent years, I've been trying to be a bit easier on myself. As one who thrives on work, my new list has "rest more," "work less," repeated a few times. One of my goals is to keep writing my book Capistrano Trails, but in an attempt to not pressure myself, I am keeping the completion date flexible. A new trend for me. What goals do you want to set? Are there projects that you want to complete? Are there trips you want to take? Are there people you need to boundary against who are not good to you? Do you want to make a new friend? Do you want to feel happier?

Being in sync with ourselves, listening to our internal messages, and noticing our moods, can allow us the ability to stop negative thoughts. The problem with negative thoughts is that they rob us of our peace of mind, of our hope. They help produce the hormone cortisol, the primal survival hormone that breeds anxiety. We can stop that nasty stuff, but it requires we pay attention to what is going on inside our heads. Recently, former Vice President Joe Biden has been talking about the essential importance of having hope. Hope gives us the will to achieve our goals, to have the personal agency, the grit, and determination to reach those goals. Hope is the engine that takes us toward positive outcomes. It is the foundation that allows us to approach life with a mindset for good results.

Happy New Year from the Friess Family
As we ring in this New Year, with the Wolf Moon and the Blue Moon watching over us, let's have the awareness to live with the best choices possible. Let's more fully manage our emotional responses and aim to train ourselves to see the positive in situations, to be hopeful for a good tomorrow. A Pinterest line I liked is: "In the end all that matters is that we loved..."

I send you my love and my very best wishes for a wonderful New Year. This is your one life. This is your time.

Thank you for stopping by!