It’s been quite a year! Many have experienced considerable and unexpected change. And even though we are staring at some scary realities as we propel into 2012, tremendous opportunities exist beyond these challenges.

Never has there been a more important time to be aware, awake and engaged. We wonder what lies within the margins of this auspicious year. What knowledge do we need to navigate its anticipated and unprecedented currents?

I wanted to offer some guideposts that will lead to a remarkable 2012:

Take care of your body. Feed it with things from the earth as much as you can. Move it often. Rest! There is nothing that deserves more respect than this magical vehicle that transports your spirit through life. Physical and mental health will be our single most important priority during 2012.

Stop doing the same things over and over again. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting the same results. Seek help in discovering your blind spot in recognizing and releasing obsolete patterns.

Be kind to others. Their journey may appear different from yours, but in the end the destination is the same. Judgment is merely another mask created by fear to protect itself from truth. Do something good every day. Kindness is persuasive and contagious.

Allow loss and endings. The Great Purge that began in 2011 will continue this year with a letting go of people, places, beliefs, and possessions. Be inspired to cultivate something new within the space created by these endings. This is opportunity knocking.

Hearts will be activated. Both personal and global events will engage the human technologies of wisdom, intuition, compassion, gratitude and empathy. Learn to trust and utilize them as innovative, powerful tools. Love is all that will have mattered.

What you value will change. This will affect what you consume, who will be in your life, and what you do with it. Reach out to like-minded people to cultivate values-directed partnerships and communities.

Children will speak. Born wiser than generations before them, children will begin to express that wisdom and gently help coax us into the world they envision for themselves. Listen to the small voices.

Be brave. If there was ever a moment for embracing risk, this is it. Find the right people; engage inventive resources, and go beyond past experience and success models. This will be a year of either breakdowns or breakthroughs.

Keep going! It’s sure to be a wild ride. Trust what is changing in and around you. Reach out to others. Strength and solutions come from sharing our vulnerabilities.

We are heading into an era of accelerated growth and transformation. 2012 will be a year of surprising new discoveries, global advances and profound realizations. Even with all the uncertainty, it is a great time to be alive. Take full advantage of the possibilities cloaked within chaos. And this year, do something you’ve never considered before.

Wishing you a happy new year!