"What are your challenges and tests in the New Year?"

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The Great Barrier Reef stretches some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. It’s a real study in contrasts. The lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful.

The reason for this phenomenon is that the coral on the lagoon side is in still water with no challenge for its survival. It’s not stimulated to grow so it dies early. But the coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms—surges of power. It fights for survival every day of its life which forces it to grow. It changes and adapts as it’s challenged and tested. It grows healthy and strong every day.

Now you would think it would be the exact opposite, wouldn’t you? That the still water lagoon side would grow. But it’s the stimulated ocean side that grows instead.

We’re like this coral. We come alive and grow when we’re challenged and tested by life. And I’ll bet you’re already being challenged and tested by life in this new year, aren’t you? Listen to your life and focus on growing more alive as you make a life, not just a living today.

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"Who do you lean on when the weight of life is too much for you to stand by yourself?"

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A stand of pines grow in the yard part of our farm. Their limbs have grown together. Also in our yard was one pine growing by itself.

A snowfall came and the ice and snow lay heavy on the branches of those pines, so heavy that the weight bent their branches down toward the ground, so low in fact that in the stand of pines, the branches from one tree were on the trunk and branches of another, but none of the branches broke because the trees leaned their branches on one another.

The pine that stood by itself didn’t do as well. There were no other trees to lean against so the lone pine's branches became so heavy they broke off. So many of them broke off that we had to cut the tree down.

We have each other to journey with in life. Together we’re stronger and live longer than any one of us by ourselves. Who do you lean on when the weight of life is too much for you to stand by yourself? Listen to your life and make a life with the people in your life, not just a living.

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"It was a little easier to help others during the holidays, wasn’t it?"

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Charles Shultz, creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip, died some years ago, but his comic strips live on. In one of my favorite “Peanuts” cartoons, Snoopy is shivering out in a snowstorm beside an empty food dish. He looks expectantly toward the house. Lucy comes out and says, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled!" Then she goes back into the house and slams the door. In the last frame, you see a confused Snoopy looking toward the house, still shivering and hungry and now, confused.

During the holidays, it was a little easier for you and me to help shivering, hungry people what with the “holiday spirit” and all. We got caught up in the season of giving. But it’s easier for us to slam doors now what with the decorations retired back to the basement or up in the attic.

Even though the holidays are over, warm and feed others today. When you do, the holidays—the season of giving’s holy-days spirit—live on. Just listen to life and make a life, not just a living today and you’ll discover more opportunities to keep the season alive than you ever imagined.

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