Happy New Year!! There's been only 17 days so far of this year and I have already experienced circumstances changing rapidly. For a number of reasons I was expecting this year to be of great changes - but I never imagined they would come this quick! :-) Change is good, by the way ;-)

One of the changes experienced has to do with money; all of a sudden in the first few days of this year I found myself in a situation in which I needed, together with my husband, to come up with a lot of money - and all of a sudden a few days later we created another source of income which will allow us to live better than up to now.

I was, before the year started, playing around with some ideas for my next project. I chose to create an ebook on visualization - an actual guide that will take you from zero to visualizing easily and obtaining results.

But you know me by now - I like talking from experience, and so I wanted to be able to say "if you do this you will obtain results" - I wanted to obtain results myself so that my guide would be accurate. So when the situation in which we needed a lot of money came up, I thought that one of the sections of my ebook would be dedicated to visualizing money and I would use myself as a guinea pig for this experiment.

Well, what do you know, in the days I've been experimenting and taking accurate note of all I did and the results, more unexpected income came my way via my website. So here I am, so thrilled to be immersed in creating this new ebook, through which I can obtain results, and which hopefully will be of good help to you (keep tuned to my newsletter as I'll be announcing the launch of my ebook as soon as I can).

If you've also been experiencing sudden changes in this brief period of 2012, you gotta read the article of the month, down below - where I tell you what's my idea of what's going on in 2012 and what I do to keep afloat amidst the rapid changes.

Happy 2012!! :-)

2012! You've likely read and heard a lot about it - prophecies of the end of the world, of a change in the energy of the planet, even how the poles will shift (?).

I personally don't think the world is going to end. I think that what's going to end is an era - a stage in mankind marked by a number of patterns in thought and behaviour. And a new era starts: a time of greater cooperation and sharing at all levels.

I would expand on this - but it's not really the point of this article, plus you can find tons of information about it on the internet (just search your favourite spiritual author + 2012 and you will surely hear them talking about it).

Now... the transition from one way of life to another one means changes of all kinds - we're going through a type of birth, as I see it. For a number of reasons I also think that 2012 is a year in which the changes will happen quickly, in which time 'accelerates' (see videos of Terence McKenna talking about his Timewave Zero theory).

All that I thought before we arrived at 2012. And now we're here, and I can already see in my life rapid changes. Some seem scary, some seem pleasant, but deep inside I know it's all changing for the good, even if it doesn't look so at first.

You know as well that I believe that whatever we put our attention on expands. Join this thought to the previous one, and you get that whatever you put your attention on will manifest quicker than it was possible before - at least this is my take.

Again I've been experimenting with this. I've decided to spend as much time as possible feeling good - by focusing on the positive, by being grateful, by doing what gives me joy, by using techniques to step out of negative states of mind when I experience them.

I've taken note of what happens in my life as I spend time hanging out in Easy World or in Difficult World (I mentioned this book in a previous newsletter; it's a gem, do read it: "Choosing Easy World"). And I have noticed that certainly what I focus on seems to come to me quicker - both the 'negative' and the 'positive' stuff.

As a fun experiment, I'm dividing my day in all the hours I spend awake, keeping track of how I'm feeling throughout each hour, and calculating a percentage of how much of my day I spend feeling good. Then I have observed what comes back into my life.

And I'm amazed at how easy my life seems to keep on turning. Again, even if at first the changes seem scary, I keep on trusting that everything is turning out to be for the best - and just like the situation with the money, so it is.

[Note: I have had people around me stressing very much because of a number of circumstances - and in this regard, even though I keep trusting and feeling good, I am also sensitive to how others see what's going on. Sometimes people will not understand why you seem so chilled out when the world is crumbling around you - so be mindful when you're dealing with them.]

The key here: trust. So do you want miracles in your life this year? Then keep focused on feeling good by the means that most appeal to you, relax, and trust that everything is fine. Know that you will be very pleasantly surprised, and that things will be better than you would have ever imagined.

My peace is with you.

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 Muralikrishna, from India, shared this sweet and short piece of gratitude:

Thanks, Muralikrishna! :-)

My recommendation of the month for you is just a couple of videos to help you relax... you know, whenever you have sudden changes in your life it's all the more important to keep lighthearted and calm! ;-)

So here is the first one: it's a recording of the sound of beach waves. I use it as background music when I'm writing, or sometimes I simply play it, close my eyes, and let my body relax: Sound of beach waves.

The second one is a video of flowers opening up - in a quick motion. The display is amazing; the colours are wonderful; and the peace that this video emanates is something you can only discover by watching it. So do it: Life of flowers.

I wish you enjoy them both. Keep relaxed, keep breathing! :-)

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... good food recipes. I've got this vegan cook book which I love - because the recipes are simply and precise. Really - following them to the dot gives me great things like vegan chocolate brownies and carrot and nut biryani. Love it! :-)

Thankful for... the comfort of modern life. The other day I watched a documentary showing the evolution of the home since the Middle Ages - and I just felt, "How lucky we are now" - for things like we take for granted, such as electricity, running water, or even a toilet.

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

P.S. Feeling stressed and worried because of problems at work? Then check my handbook "From Conflict To Calm" - based on my own experience with conflict with my boss, my handbook gives you the keys to move from a powerless situation to one of peace.

P.S.S. Tired of procrastinating? Wish you got more out of your own life but you don't know how? In my handbook "Power Over Procrastination" you will find the exact plan, techniques and tools I use to get things done easily - leaving procrastination behind altogether!