There are lovers and there are friends. But after say 30, I would guess that most of your friends tend to be of the same sex. I’m asking you the universal and timeless question - can a guy and girl just be friends?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how people heal, deal with old trauma and tend to their personal challenges.

C O M P R O M I S E: doing something you don’t want to do.

What does it mean to you?

There’s a difference between being brutally honest and speaking your truth. The former can be abrupt and may lack compassion in your delivery. This will easily cause defensiveness in the other. I know this from experience. Heck, you probably do too by now. ;)

I recently listened to the podcast: ManTalks - Motivation, Anxiety and the Science of Stuck with Britt Frank. I’ve listened to her before and absolutely recommend her if you have issues with anxiety. She’s quick and knows her stuff!

Here’s my summary if you can’t find the time to listen to the full episode.

Anxiety is not a thinking problem, it’s a body problem.

I’m seeing a lot of grief going on around me so I felt compelled to write about it. I believe this is yet another emotion that connects us all, as we have either dealt with this or will deal with it at some point.

Are you a dreamer or a realist? If you could have one New Year wish fulfilled, what would it be? This is all about dreaming big. This is ‘genie in the bottle’ kind of big. No limits. Do you remember to dream? To imagine?

The holidays are a perfect time for lots of great food, drinks, games, conversations and maybe too many days spent in the same house, tight quarters and everyone's issues piling into the same room!

We can be tired from late nights, a little too much Christmas cheer, and pressure to be our best. It’s Christmas after all, shouldn’t everyone be in peace and joy?

I bet that subject made you look! It’s not about the drinking game… sorry. Haha

Here’s a perception that grounds me and delivers compassion to others. As much as you are so very unique, you’re also quite similar to others.

You’ve heard the saying, it takes a village to raise a child.

I know for me it sure has! I too, need a village.

Support comes in many forms, such as:

In talking to a couple of my wonderful friends lately, it seems to me there is some struggle around not letting other people affect you so much. Why is it hard to say no to your mother? Why do you care that someone may not like you?

OK, so life can be hard. It can also be wonderful.

How quick are you to pick up the phone when you are excited vs. sad?

I believe when you are in the lower level emotions (sadness, hurt, depressed, grief), time alone with yourself is crucial.

You’ve heard the saying, ask and it is given right? Sometimes the signs are subtle. Ever think about someone, and boom, you run into them or receive a text? This is a signal to you of how much power you have to affect your world. That your thoughts really do create things.

This question always makes me think.

Back in my wonderful oil & gas days, I often noticed a ‘business’ persona and a personal one.

Here’s my question: Which one of you, is the real you?

You hear this all the time… don’t care what other people think… well that's totally up to you, but here’s a new perspective on that.

I believe we are all given unique gifts. Some of you were born with obvious talents - singers, authors, artists. Keeping in mind though, these people spend a heck of a time honing their talent. There’s no such thing as an ‘overnight success.’ They’ve been working on it for years.

I believe there is a thread (link) in using our uniqueness in the world and feeling our best. So you see this isn’t about passion per se, it’s about your gifts.

Connection for me is so very important in living my best life. It’s what fills my heart and makes me so very happy. So today's question for you is:

Do I feel connected to myself and to others?

If you ever feel lonely, you are probably just lacking connection.

Today’s question is - What is in your environment?

And I’d like you to think about this in all of your areas of life. Because ultimate success is not to only thrive in one bucket.

How do you want your life to be?