Happy New Year! Looks like we survived the end of the Mayan calendar and another holiday season. And although our waistlines and credit card statements may be slightly enlarged as a result of the latter, how blessed we are to live in such a bountiful land.

Just prior to turning our calendars to 2013, I'll bet each of us read, listened to, or saw at least one review of 2012. Everyone loves doing the "what happened this year" dance. Well I've got a terrific idea that will not only enable you to do your own "what happened this year" dance as New Year's Eve approaches in December, but could give your courage a BIG boost along the way.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must say this isn't my idea. A dear friend of mine included it in her Christmas card.

Begin with an empty jar or vase - as simple or ornate as you choose. Then, whenever you can, begin filling it with small notes of the blessings and good things that happen to you throughout the year. Since my friend is a very accomplished artist, she's doing her notes on colored papers to create a fabulous visual affect at year's end.

What a terrific exercise, and in so many ways!

First, our lives are so full and move at such warp speeds that we forget the little gems that happened last week, never mind six months ago. Each of these notes is one of those gems and a great timeline of 2013!

Secondly, when bad things happen to us, we're often incapable of finding the good. We'll only need to read a couple of notes to cure that problem.

Probably most important of all is the connection this exercise has to courage. When we need it the most, courage can be the most elusive of qualities. We search our mental file cabinet to find some frame of reference and often come up lacking. While not one of your notes may have the word "courage" on it, being able to fall back on your blessings is one of the surest ways to feel invincible. And this is true even if your blessings have nothing to do with the challenge requiring your courage.