Are you ready for the new year 2012? I am!  Like what I posted on my Facebook wall the other day, I like new year because it gives us a clean slate.  And clean slate means new opportunities, a chance to grow and succeed.

The year 2011 has been a challenging one for many of us, especially in the area of finances.  Among my friends I have seen foreclosure of homes, bankruptcy, short sales, and move to the mainland because they can’t find a job here on the island.   Around the world, there are famine, calamities, disasters, wars and turmoil. But you know what? It’s not the end of the world. Not yet.  In 2011, they were also some blessings and some things we were thankful for in spite of the general hardship many of us experienced. And we want to see more blessing on 2012.

This week my friend Tricia Morris forwarded to me a link to a YouTube video of  her husband Duffy singing his original composition No Way To Go But Up.  To be honest, I didn’t find  the song/video spectacular at first, but I thought it was good – it’s encouraging and uplifting and has a nice little countryish beat to it.  The interesting thing is that I went back and watched it several times, and it grew on me. I started liking it more and more.

Duffy originally e-mailed the link of this video to about 30 of his friends.  He just wanted to be an encouragement to them through this song.  As of this writing, the video already has 230 hits on YouTube and it’s still growing.  What does that tell me? People are sharing it around.  People were being encouraged by it.  The chorus actually got stuck in my head yesterday and I found myself humming the song. Want to see the video and here the song for yourself? Here it is:

Been hard getting through these last few years
And I’m starting to get bummed out
The strain and the pain with maybe nothing to gain
And asking God just what it’s all about

There’s so many pieces to keep in place
And everyone want to get paid
The Government talks and the Big Guys get walks
While the rest of us stay afraid

(Chorus)
There’s no place to go but up
I can see it from inside out
When I stop the sighs and lift my eyes
There’s no place to go but up
There’s no place to go but up
I can see it from inside out
When I stop the sighs and lift my eyes
There’s no place to go but up

Housing’s still broke and folks out of work
The weather seems out of control
The Mid East is shaking, Japan is quacking
Big business is still on a roll

Finally now we’re starting to see
How the oil fiasco can end
With wind and fuel cells, geo and sun shells
We’ll make energy our best friend

(Musical Break)

Maybe, just maybe countries will see
That cooperation is key
And then we can focus with no hocus pocus
To fulfill our Destiny

(Chorus – 1st time and 2nd time instrumental solo and fade)
There’s no place to go but up
I can see it from inside out
When I stop the sighs and lift my eyes
There’s no place to go but up
There’s no place to go but up
I can see it from inside out
When I stop the sighs and lift my eyes
There’s no place to go but up

—

So there you go folks, let us look up this coming 2012.  Up is where we’re heading, right?  Are setting goals or doing a bucket list for the coming year? What is that one thing that you hope to accomplish next year?  I know you may have several, but please share at least on on the comment section of this Aloha Friday Post.  My one thing? I will “run” regularly – at least once a week but would aim to do more.  I know it’s not a financial goal, but believe me, it’ll help: less stress, more healthy, more room for creativity.  Now it’s your turn to share. Aloha!