I have thought a lot about the way in which I want to end this year. Especially since the new energy of 2013 is fast approaching. As I contemplated my plan, what came to me was “cleansing and clearing.” Often I take time in the spring to clean and clear out closets to create space, but this felt different. What came to me was that I was to clear and clean myself from the inside out. I decided to do an 11-day cleanse and allow my body to release old toxins. That decision created a powerful domino effect that I want to share with you.

I consider myself to be a healthy person. I eat well, work out and have a strong daily spiritual practice. However, on the second cleanse day, I began to have powerful, vivid and informative dreams. The absence of my normal food habits obviously created a space for me to see and explore more deeply into unconscious beliefs. The insights that followed invited me to expand my spiritual practice and create more alone time.

One of the things that came forward was my attachment to things, patterns and people. I saw that in certain areas of my life I was holding on to objects and relationships that no longer served me. The moment that realization came in, “stuff” began to rise to the surface. I was faced with looking at new “choice points.” I took into my meditations the question “does this person or thing still serve the high vision of my life?” The answer quite often was “no.” That meant I had to speak my truth, ask for things to be different, discard unneeded items and dare to stand for myself.

The results have been extraordinary. Clearing from the inside-out manifested a deeper inner strength and expanded love of self, and it imparted incredible inner peace.

I do not know where you are in your life, but I invite you to consider doing a year-end “cleanse and clearing.” Even if it is for only three to five days, stop eating comfort food, drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables, work out more and allot more time for your spiritual practice. Then, ask the universe to support your understanding of what you need to live a more expressive life. You do not have to make any decisions; just do this for you and see what comes forward. I believe you will discover that there is a more powerful life waiting to be revealed.

I encourage you to walk into 2013 with me and many others as the extraordinary person you came here to be. If you need support, my new book Revealing Your Extraordinary Essence offers tools to guide you through the entire year.

Please affirm with me: Today, I commit to clearing from the inside-out. I call forth a life that is focused, dynamic and magnificent.

I am sitting in a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Celebrate Your Life conference. I have the honor of being here to facilitate two workshops and to participate with a number of speakers and teachers who have inspired me over the years. As I sit here, I am bathed in a sea of gratitude for the amazing life that I am privileged to live.

I have long dreamed of making a difference in this world by offering my gifts and talents. I am sharing this with you because I want you to know that this has not been an “overnight” manifestation. The desire arose within me many years ago and I was astounded at the vision. In my meditations, I saw myself speaking in front of thousands of people. I saw myself writing books and facilitating workshops in foreign countries. It made no sense at the time because I was living a completely different life.

My mind went to work: “How can I do that?” “What is the right path?” “Do I have the tools?” “Am I making this up?” “It seems impossible to attain.” Then, I had the great fortune of hearing a speaker say, “If you just surrender to the vision and trust that you will be guided … the path will be made clear easily and effortlessly.”

Something in me resonated with that statement and I decided to take it into my meditations and journaling for the next few months. What came forward was that I did not have to know how. I kept hearing that my destiny was assured and that I was to give thanks for the life I had now and express my desire to be available and to serve. Once I began to trust my inner guidance, miracles began to unfold. Invitations from amazing sources began to come forward and the vision began to be a reality.

I do not know where you are today, but I want to encourage you to trust the calling in your heart. There is something within you that wants to express and I believe there is a delivery system for every calling. Activate your willingness to be of service and share your gifts. Declare that struggle is no longer an aspect of your life and then give thanks for every part of your current reality. Give thanks for the gifts, the challenges, the insights, the revelations and every opportunity. Then, step back and EXPECT your life to change and manifest greatness. You do not have to know how things will shift, but stand in that place of expectancy and gratitude. The universe will respond.

Please affirm with me: Today, I give thanks and claim my most amazing life. I am ready to live fully and joyously.

“Are you in charge of your ego or is your ego in charge of you?”

There are a few definitions of ego: the self, especially as distinct from the world and other selves; in psychoanalysis, the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality; an exaggerated sense of self-importance; conceit, appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem. I believe that we all experience the good news and the interesting news of our ego and how it affects our lives. However, more often than not, the ego quietly affirms separation, lack and limitation.

As I have dialogued this subject in a group that I spoke with, there were some amazing revelations that poured forth. I was struck by the honesty and clarity of each participant who spoke. Here are some of the ideas and feelings that came out in the conversation:

• Many of us have been taught to be liked and not to stand out.
• People who are successful are perceived as arrogant; our job is to make people comfortable.
• I have to let others win to be liked or pretend that I am less than I know that I am.
• I have been living small my whole life and don’t know how to do it differently.
• I am afraid of being squashed if I show people who I really am.
• I am terrified of saying the wrong thing and being misunderstood.

Do any of these thoughts resonate with you? I know that I, personally, have wrestled with these doubts on many occasions in my life and it has taken work to become more conscious about what voice I listen to. Whenever the “monkey mind” voice is talking about separation, fear or doubt, the negative aspects of ego are running. If I listen to these thoughts, it will affect my decisions.

Eckhart Tolle says, “Most people are in love with their particular life drama. Their story is their destiny. The ego runs their life. They have their whole sense of self invested in it.”

I would like to invite you to join me and my community in consciously awakening to the truth of our lives. Contemplate these thoughts:

• We are here to be powerful and share our gifts.
• There is nothing that can stop our greatness.
• We were not put on this earth to play small or hide.
• Negative self-talk will not support us in being extraordinary.

Affirmation: Today, I listen only to the inner voice that reminds me of my powerful and abundant life.

Many people are deep into the discussion of the shifts occurring on this planet. Some feel they are directly tied to the Mayan Calendar and predictions for 2012. Others feel that we are in the center of a transformational movement unlike any other in history.

I have come to realize that WE ARE THE GIFT in the shift. Each one of us is here for a unique purpose, and each of us has been given all of the tools that we need to be fulfilled and make a difference on this planet. If that is true, then the question becomes “What is in the way of us soaring?” I believe it is because we are stuck in the muck of consistent mind chatter that tries to convince us that we are victims of inevitable doom. This is fed by the intense news reports, old familial belief systems and inaccurate information passed down from various arenas.

I believe it is good to be informed. However, the most important thing, for me, is that we move away from blame and finger pointing. I believe it is essential that each of us does our own personal work. The quote “physician, heal thyself” comes to mind. If we were completely committed to clearing out the cobwebs of doubt, fear, anxiety and despair, we would embrace our true destiny. We would understand that we are here to be in high service to ourselves, each other and the planet. We would cease worrying about the “small stuff” and dedicate each day to living from the heart and practicing love at a whole other level. We would stop making excuses for our own inappropriate behavior and activate conscious awareness as much as possible. We would not look outside ourselves for a leader, teacher or healer to bring us the answers. We would look within the quietude of our own hearts. There, we would remember that all human beings want the same things. We all want to be loved, held, supported, fed and nurtured. We all want to express and live a rich life.

I am not naïve enough to think that there are simple solutions to the shift we are all experiencing. I am, however, clear that every one of us has personal power and if we activate it, we affect the whole. We are all interconnected, and every time one of us heals, expands, or awakens … we all heal on some level.

Please affirm with me: Today, I consistently remind myself and consciously honor the fact that I am a gift in this world. I am here to make a difference and I know it!

I recently had the honor of attending a family wedding in France. The groom was French and brought up in the Catholic tradition. The bride was born in California and raised in the Jewish tradition.

The family and friends from both sides assembled in a small town in the south of France and the celebration began. There was lots of food, wine, and joyous gatherings. The groom’s family exhibited the most amazing hospitality. Here is the interesting thing: It seemed perfectly natural that the French and the Americans were in the same place honoring the love of this beautiful young couple. Some spoke only English. Some spoke only French. Others had varying degrees of language learnings. It didn’t seem to matter. Somehow, we all found a way to connect and get to know each other.

The wedding ceremony was in two parts and was extraordinary. The first part was a civil ceremony in the office of the mayor. The families, friends and neighbors filled a room as the couple listened to the decree and signed the papers making their marriage official. There was an interpreter to make sure that the English-speaking attendees could understand what was being shared. The room was filled with smiles and we all felt that we were a part of something special.

Then, we all caravanned to a small Catholic church and witnessed magic. Four men brought in a chuppah. The officiants were two American women and a French man. The entire ceremony was an interlacing of Jewish and Catholic traditions, American and French, young and old, and readings honoring seven blessings for the marriage. Clearly, the couple wanted everyone to experience what was important to them and include all in their joy.

This entire experience opened in me a deep clarity about the true meaning of family. I believe that we are all here, on this planet, to honor, love and respect one another. We are here to remember that we are a part of the universal family, sharing our gifts and traditions to grow and bond. This wedding was such a clear example of universal love and connectivity. I do not believe that anyone could walk away from this experience with a closed heart.

I returned home reminded that I am called to share my love and my home with the same generosity as the French family that opened their hearts to us. I am challenging myself to reach out to my universal family through the ways that I speak and act in every moment.

I ask you, what have you done lately to connect with others from different walks of life? Have you activated a beautiful curiosity about others and dedicated yourself to sharing what brings you joy? I cannot think of a better time in history to break down the walls of separation and connect to the universal family. Join me!

Please affirm with me: I open my heart and invite in my universal family!