End of 2010! This year has been really grand for me - lots of learning and surprises and love and sharing and creation and colours... I wish it has been as good for you too! :-)

As you will recall from the previous newsletter, I told you about an ebook that I am writing about handling conflict at work. I will publish it on 8th January - I'm so excited! - and there will be a discount available for the readers of this newsletter.

December is cruising with snow in London - which came already in November; see a picture of how I found the street one morning. It's just so very beautiful and soothing.

I don't quite celebrate Christmas as such, at least not in any religious way; however there is a certain magic to the whole change-of-year thing. Whatever you do, I wish you have a happy time - see you in 2011!

I like animals and, having had a dog myself, I know what it is like to have a pet - a wonderful experience that enriched my life in ways I had never thought of.

With Christmas coming, some people choose to give pets as gifts - myself I'd rather adopt one though (in the UK an average of 27 pets are abandoned every day). But did you know that are many reasons why one should specially not buy pets at Christmas?

People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) is a veterinary charity in the UK, and at this time of the year it has published a timely message, so that we reconsider buying a pet for Christmas.

Read the full news at the PDSA web site.

Using positive thinking to improve our lives takes us to the path of expanding our awareness - our consciousness. I find that embarking on the journey of positive thinking is one of the best things you can do not only for yourself, but for everybody else too.

See, you can only give from a place of abundance. And there are so many people out there in need - of love, compassion, understanding, care, food, money, clothes, a smile, a hug...

What I'm seeking this month with this article is to make you realize that you're more advanced in your personal development than you think. I want to empower you to know that you can make a difference to the world.

If you ever thought that you shouldn't be focusing on feeling good yourself, but on what you can do to help others, know that you first need to feel fine in order to be of real help to others.

Of course, one of the things that you can do to feel better is to help others - but the place from where the energy comes when you already feel good is different (a place of lack versus a place of abundance).

I believe, and I see it happening in my life over and over, that when you are in a position to help others then the opportunities to do it come along by themselves. It is as if the Universe was matching the helpers and the helped at each step.

Helping can be done in so many ways. Sometimes just your presence is enough. Or a listening ear. A smile. Your time. Even an umbrella! (see below)

When you realize that you can help in a situation, if you pay attention you will know what it is that you can help with. Sometimes it may seem obvious... As I left work one rainy afternoon, a young woman was standing without an umbrella waiting to cross the road - I followed the impulse of making room for her under my umbrella.

The way to create a nicer world to live in is by adding up all those small actions towards love, laugh, peace, understanding... that each of us takes every day. So each action is important.

Yes. You are that powerful. We can all change the world together, one action at a time. Should you want to have a goal for 2011, wanting to help others is an excellent one. Just the pure want will do - the opportunities to do so, no doubt, will appear.

Every month I receive emails from readers - some of them contain questions or comments, and some of them are contributions, such as a positive story, an article or a tip.

This month Robin, from Louisville, shared this piece of gratitude:

"I am grateful for old friends and new friends

A wildberry smoothie from McDonald's

My kitty's soft black and white tummy

A hug from a former foster child moving on

Freedom

A mind that can compose poetry

Fingers that can type quickly on a keyboard

Pens whose ink flows smoothly

A mom that is the royal highness of moms

A nudge from a kitty wanting to be loved

A silent evening in which only the wind is whispering

Memories of my 4th grade teacher

I am grateful for cars rushing past

A dinner in the oven

A prescription for pills that I need

A phone call from an old lover

A website about anything

My google phone's internet capabilities

Life

Love

A chance at romance

Pickles"

>>> You can read this piece of gratitude on its page at "I am grateful for life".

Thanks, Robin! :-)

Talking about helping others... this man, Narayanan Krishnan, is just so inspiring. He wants to help, so he gets out and helps the ones who so obviously need it, in India.

You've got to watch Narayanan Krishnan in action. This is a good reminder that helping does not necessarily mean accomplishing something huge, but that it can be done very simply and having an instant impact.

Stay inspired.

I believe that being grateful for something is one of the most powerful tools to feel better immediately. Here are the two thanking bits of the month:

Thankful for... the money I find. In the over eight years I have been living in London I have found more than £500 on the street - in small change and sometimes in notes. Whether I find a penny or a pound, I'm equally grateful - I love finding money! :-)

Thankful for... snow. The snow that fell in London a few weeks ago left me in wonder of the seasons and the changes they bring. I mean, there are so many different natural phenomena! I find that from all of them, snow is one of the most beautiful ones.

What are you thankful for? Share your gratitude on this page and read what others are thankful for!

Care to send me your thoughts about this issue's topics? Email me and let me know!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues, or send them to the Dare To Play It Big sign up page. I thank you in advance.

Stay well,

Cristina