1. 2017 has been a difficult year. Bombarded with negativity in the news on a daily basis, it's been hard to stay motivated, inspired and on track when it comes to personal goals. If you've fallen off track (I know I did a bit), it's time to get back to a healthy routine, learn to protect your mood from going sour, and redirect your energy to what matters.
2. Are you going through tough times? Being a human can be a messy, hard, confusing, painful experience sometimes. Take good care of yourself. Exercise, stretch, eat healthy, and get a good night’s sleep. You will be OK. Be compassionate to yourself through ups and downs - compassion fully blossoms when we actively offer care to ourselves, says Tara Brach. Embrace the path you're on right now, and know that you don't have to know all the answers to live a life worth living. 
3. When we inevitably stumble, it's easy to fall back to our negative thought patterns and old habits. Combating our predisposition to negativity and fear-based thinking is two fold. First, we practice observing our thoughts and feelings - this will allow you to step back and not give into them automatically, which in turn will allows us to respond not react to our current experience. And second, we practice optimism (remember, what we give attention to grows - we can reshape our brain to be more positive). Focus on the gifts you’ve been given in life, seek small joys and pleasures, start a gratitude journal, notice the little things that make your day better, give compliments, offer kindness and a helping hand. And remember, there is always something to be grateful for. Gratitude has the potential to bring the heart, lungs, and brain into electrical resonance or “coherence” through positive reframing.  How is that for balance?
4. Are you organizing and consciously planning your life, or are you living in survival mode, scattered and sloppy, without aim or purpose? It’s really easy to get off course in life. Like airplanes, we constantly need to make course corrections (ton of writing prompts here).
5. Whether it's the year that's wrapping up, or you are approaching a new stage in your life, perhaps it's a good time to slow down and reset. Practicing stillness and silence can reset our internal system and foster balance. Many of us fear solitude, but it can be good for us

With love,
Joanna