Just before you you start the annual ritual of setting goals for next year, I thought I would share with you a couple of thoughts to spur you on.

As many of you know, 2007 has been a year of mixed success for me. And like everyone who has a few too many battles, sometimes that dreaded thought crossed my mind: "Why bother?"

However, a quick review over the last day or so, of my achievements for 2007 showed that, on balance, it has been a great year with just a few bumps along the way. So, I though I would share with you a couple of inspiring pieces of wisdom that came across my desk today.

Vernon Howard in "The Power of Your Supermind" says:

"Persistence prevails, like a stream that is temporarily blocked by boulders and then collects force enough to overflow onward."

So, as you go forward to 2008 I urge you to Persist! Make sure you are not giving up too easily.

Be like a stream that is temporarily blocked by boulders. Collect force enough to overflow onward!!!

And for that battle that seems never ending, the words of Anthony de Mello from his great book "Awareness":

"Everything passes, everything."

Everything passes... in this story told by Abraham Lincoln he encourages us to keep the faith:

“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations.

They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away."

How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride!

How consoling in the depths of affliction!”

This piece of wisdom has been around since that days of Solomon.

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister.

He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it."

"If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?"

"It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy."

Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring.

On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet.

"Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah.

He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.

That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity.

"Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?"

All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!"

As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweller had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: gimel, zayin, yud, which began the words "Gam zeh ya'avor" -- "This too shall pass."

At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.