Beloved students, I am truly delighted to be able to greet you at the beginning of a new year. Indeed, there is no breath quite as exciting or as full of promise as the first breath of a new year—at least for those who are conscious of the freshness of an annual rebirth. May the year 2011 offer each of you every blessing you can discern and accept? May this be a year of your greatness, and may you see without obstruction the magnificence you have come to anchor to this precious, beautiful, and evolving planet.

As you begin another annual cycle, it is important to take note of this point of freshness. Perhaps you, like many others, have set goals and resolutions for yourself to accomplish in 2011. If so, I congratulate you for taking the time and generating the focus to begin the year with a plan. If not, it is still not too late to view your personal path with fresh eyes and consider just what area needs your focus and energy this year.