Eleanor Roosevelt, in her wisdom, said "It takes a village to raise a child." I believe our needs for a supportive, nurturing and challenging village extend decades beyond our childhood. Perhaps the quote could be broadened to all ages with a slight modification, "It takes a village to empower us to our greatness."

As part of our village, we need to find villagers who challenge us in positive ways, support us in strengthening our talents, motivate us to reach far and dream wide, cheer us on when we achieve our goals, inspire us to be the best that we can be and encourage us in our moments of defeat. Your village may be small or large, it may be local or extend across the globe, it may be focused in one area or have overlapping concentric circles to capture your many needs. Whatever your village looks like, however it is constructed, wherever it exists, it will be up to you to build it and maintain its strength. What can you do today that will boost your village and actualize you toward your greatness?

At some point in your life, you have likely been asked whether you see the glass as half full or half empty. Do you see the brighter side of events or focus on the darkness? Your answer to this question tells a lot about opportunity and optimism. When we are down, when stresses are high, when we are tired or otherwise exhausted physically or emotionally, it can be difficult to see the opportunities around us. We may focus on those that have passed us by or that are not available to us for one reason or another.

This does not need to be a time of despair. In the words of Helen Keller, "When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." If you are in a rut in life and believe that the doors are closed, take a very careful and thorough look around you for the open door. And if you believe you can't find it, rely on the trusted persons in your life to help you see that there is another door open - another opportunity for health and happiness that is available to you - right now - right here - just for you. Go ahead - - opportunity is knocking.

The song's lyrics go "'Tis the season to be jolly" . . . yet in the psychology profession this can be the season holding some of the toughest challenges for clients. You take the typical year-long ingredients of work, school, family and friends, add in the relatives you see only once or twice a year, sprinkle that with the northern hemisphere's shortest days of sunlight and often dreary weather, and top it with stress and a bad economy. Voilà! Instead of a tasty 'fa-la-la-la-la' treat you may feel like you got a big flop! Instead of singing the holiday blues, let's see if we can jazz up some joy in your life.

Suggestions for finding joy during the holiday season:
• Prioritize. Go to the events that you will enjoy the most, and at which there are the people who support you the best. Remind yourself that you do not have to do everything.
• Pace. If you find yourself in a hurried place, be deliberate about slowing down, taking in the sights. For example, if you dread going out to shovel snow, don't forget to play in it after you are done - build a fort, make a snow angel, write an inspirational message in a drift. Pace yourself and alternate between the demands of the day and the joys you can find.
• Pause. Take moments out of every day to think positively about the people in your life, what this season means to you, and the things for which you are thankful.