How would you like to improve yourself and your life next year? Is there a piece of advice or counsel you received in the past year that could guide you?

Find positivity as much as possible - Focus and avoid procrastination - Be assertive and decisive - Eat well, exercise, and make space for myself to grow.

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?" Keep doing new and different things.

I need to be more active. I would like to strengthen my core and thus fee stronger physically, and emotionally. I want to have more confidence in my physical abilities and use an afternoon workout to shake out the day's work.

I would like to get better at not taking life, and myself, so seriously. I think it would help me relax, have more fun, be more present, see the humor in things easier.

I would like a NEW JOB that engages me and my creativity and enables me to participate fully with integrity, enthusiasm, energy and passion! I want to LOVE what I do and BELIEVE in what I do, knowing that I am doing something POSITIVE that makes a difference in people's lives on an individual, community and/or global level. And I would like the transition to be EASY!

I want to keep swimming. I want to trust my instincts. I want to listen. I want to tell the truth. I want to be present. I want to live free of self-judgment. I want to continue making choices out of love, not fear. I still hold by the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which reminds us: "Now is the right time."

I am prone to get distracted and waste time significantly. All I could take are the words of Steve Jobs: "You don't have enough time".

I'd like to force myself to be more outgoing, to put myself out there in situations I may not think I'll like or be comfortable in. It's the only way I'm going to meet new people, learn new things and become a better person.

"Stand up for yourself." I want to be more confident in myself and have more self worth. I want to be able to stand up for myself, not just for the people I care about. I want people to look at and say "Wow, she's self confident" but I also want to be able to see that in myself.

"Everything happens for a reason." Such a simple and traditional piece of advice, but a very necessary thing to keep in mind. Similarly, there is a quote from Malcolm X -- "Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient." I need to remember these two phrases, but also not use them as an excuse to not take control of my own life. I need to find a balance of accepting and defining my own fate.