As we start 2012 and 2011 comes to an end, we will all stand in jaw dropping awe that we survived....we made it.....and the promise of a new year, raises the heads of many to the bright future that lays before us, or so that is how the story is suppose to go.
Let's be honest, 2011 was brutal. No, I am not going to go into my top 10 2011 screw ups and goof ups but, let's just simply agree that the majority of Americans want to forget that 2011 really ever happened. Now, that is something I want to talk about.
I want to remind each of you, going forward into 2012 that it's the depths of darkness that makes the light so bright. Earlier this summer, my beautiful niece Carolina came to spend 3 months with me. One of the trips I took her on was to Mammoth Cave Kentucky. Now, for those uninitiated, Mammoth Cave is a huge cave complex that you can go on guided tours through...it's really spectacular, I recommend you should do it. Well, anyways, one of the things they do on the tours is show you complete and total darkness. Now, if you are scared of the dark, this is something you better take an anxiety pill for because, when you are 70+ ft. underground........sunlight....light....non-existent. Well, I say non-existent but, someone inevitably has a watch that glows in the dark or a kid is jumping around with those shoes that have built in strobe lights or something silly like that so, some light is down there however, the amazing part is, up here, in the light of the sun, I don't really notice someone's glow in the dark watch or flashy seizure inducing shoes but, down there.....not only do you notice it, it's like your eyes gravitate to it. Down there, in the depths of darkness where sunlight doesn't dare tred, any light, no matter how faint, burns with the intensity of a thousand suns! Ok...so, I exaggerated a little.....maybe 999 suns but, hopefully you get the point. In other words, no matter how dark, no matter how dank, no matter how much despair is in your life, even the smallest measure of hope is bright enough to lead the masses from the dark. What a beautiful, amazing thought. The darker it is, the least amount of hope you need. It's the darkness that makes hope so bright, even if you don't have enough to see for yourself here in the full light of the sun.
From everyone I have spoken to, from everyone I know and from my own research, 2012 doesn't hold a lot of promise to be much better than 2011 however, we don't need "much" promise, we just need a little because no matter how dark it gets, no matter how much hope we have lost to the darkness, it just takes the tiniest bit and our eyes will do what comes so naturally to them and they will focus, they will hone our senses and we will come out on the other end, smarter, wiser and brighter than ever before.
In 2012, may your faith fill you, may your family hold you, may your friends uplift you, God Bless each of you and look forward to 2012, with just a little hope.
Comments
All you need is a mustard seed of faith. Looking forward to this New Year!
2011 was great for me, but I also worked much harder on each transaction than I have ever had to int he past.
2011 was a much better year then 2010 was. I actually sold more, volume wise, then I have in the last 4 years. Commission wise is was a very rough year. I had to work 3 times harder to make 1/4 of what I would normally. And my inventory supply basicly ran out in May. Hopefully 2012 will have a full year's supply!
Come on, Jesse...2011 wasn't that bad. I can't be the only one that had a good year.
But you do make a good analogy of light and dark. 1 John 1:7.
Mammoth Cave sounds like fun, I will have to put that on my list of places to visit soon.
Jesse,
Thanks for putting 2011 into prospective for all of us. Let's be that light of hope for others as we guide them
through a difficult market. Happy New Year and wishing everyone a wonderful 2012.
Thanks for bringing a little light into my life. Happy New Year!