This has been a year where many have felt hopelessly divided.

A relentless focus on differences divides us.  It puts common ground out of our reach.

Discovering similarities unites us. 

Unite does not mean uniform. Uniform means exactly the same as. 

Unite means come together.

From my work in 53 countries, I feel powerfully united with all of humankind.

That doesn’t mean I’m the “same as…” for there is no one the same as me.

We are each completely unique. There is not, there never has been, and never will be anyone exactly like you. 

You bring something to the party no one else can and no one else ever will.

As Dr. Seuss once said, “There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

Yet, the powerful similarities that unite our unique selves as humankind are tremendous, they are strong and endure beyond lost empires and civilizations.

• We all like it when someone makes us laugh
• Smiles make us smile
• We love
• We like friends
• We like a good meal
• We love being understood
• We want people in our life we can trust
• We don’t like being lonely
• We don’t like losing people we love
• We bleed when we’re cut
• We are all trying

And so many more beautiful things that bring us to common ground.

We celebrate many things in this time. Spiritual, emotional, deep.

This week was our winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Now we celebrate the return of the sun, the lengthening of the days.

And so it is with our spirits.

Darkness outside does not reflect the light in our hearts which burns ever brighter this time of year.

As our year comes in for a landing, we retreat to the open arms of those who love us, to recharge and regenerate ourselves. 

We emotionally and spiritually refresh and renew ourselves to create the rocket fuel for the hopes and dreams of the new year.

This is a magical time, the time to turn off the mind. To open heart and soul. To fill them with those invisible, even spiritual, qualities, like love and affection, that nourish our life force and enable us to create the future.

This is a time when communication becomes communion, when heart touches heart with the intimacy of deep welcome, affection and understanding.

These very beautiful life-giving forces are vital to our being causative.  They lift us up off muddy ground and put the wind beneath our wings so we can take to the air.

I wish you a most magical of seasons. May your body, mind and spirit, may all that is inside you, be deeply nourished and satisfied. Full. 

May you experience great joy from the many simple things that only happen in the magic of this time.

May your optimism blaze refreshed and radiant.

May love surround you as we welcome back the sun.

May you have a brilliant year ending – shining bright.

The world is waiting to see the light you will bring in the new year…

Love,

Ingrid