Andrew Chan

3 sleeps till Christmas, I can almost hear Santa's reindeers!

As I sit down to write, Christmas carols are playing in the background, there's a slight chill in the air outside, and at least for the mean time all seems to be a bit more positive in the world.

The year is about to finish with challenges we didn?t foresee in January; global economic turmoil rules the daily press, with it bringing panic, layoffs and an uncertain future.

For me, reality is what you make of it. No matter what happens, there are differing ways to view and evaluate situations. There are different things that can be done and different paths to take no matter the situation.

I haven't been very much concerned by what the media tells me about the world around me; what I care about is what I can learn and what path and direction I will follow in the coming year.

Ultimately, what matters most is not where we have been, but where we are going. I want to make certain it's in a positive direction.

This is the perfect time to sit back and take stock of our lives, what we have done, and what we want to do in the coming year ahead.

While Santa may slow the Earth down on Christmas Eve so he can deliver all his presents, the world around us doesn't stop.