The holiday season is fast approaching, the season of goodwill; a time for giving and receiving. The question to ask ourselves is, why save our goodwill for one month of the year? Throughout the year we have so much to be thankful for, so many people in our life who are there for us, why wait for December to spread the goodwill we talk so much about at this time of the year? Remember also that the season of goodwill is not about how much money we spend and how nice our presents are, or even, how many presents we have received; it is about being together for the holiday. It looks like this will be the first time in almost 13 years that my family and I will not experience a white Christmas in our town situated in Ontario, Canada. The sun is shining and it is quite surreal. My husband, Dave, who loves a white Christmas is determined not to let the sunshine dampen his anticipation and Christmas spirit and as this is the first Christmas in our new home we have made an extra special effort to decorate the inside and outside of our home. We feel the sparkling Christmas lights cheer up the cold dark evenings and, even without snow I am sure we will still feel festive and happy surrounded by our family.

Being together for Christmas, is made special, for me, by having my family around me and knowing we are all healthy and content. There are so many people in the world who are suffering from lack of food, money and may be living in war-torn countries, so sparing a thought for the less fortunate does make us feel sad, but also may prompt us to help others in the New Year. This time of year many of us look over the past year at our successes in life and our challenges, and we do this to learn, not to feel we have failed or to have regrets. Knowing how we can move forward in the New Year in our personal and professional lives is only possible if we are honest with ourselves, and with others.

So, in this last Stepping Stone for the year 2006 I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday and also say thank you to you all for your support and friendship and for continuing to enjoy the Stepping Stone digest. Without the wonderful articles and feedback from the many subscribers around the world Stepping Stone would not be the motivational and topical newsletter that so many people enjoy reading each month. No one person is able to claim success alone, in my opinion, we all need and should welcome the support of others and that is part of what makes the world go around. Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year and I look forward to sharing the Stepping Stone digest with you all in 2007!