Forgive Me.

Dear Readers,

Please forgive me.

I'm not sure if I have wronged you but the Jewish New Year is coming and I'm cleaning out my guilty conscience and one way to do that is to ask for forgiveness.

So please forgive me.

Perhaps I wasted your time with a blog post that did not inspire you.

Perhaps I wrote a blog post that did inspire you and you feel slightly guilty for not moving on that inspiration.

Perhaps I have done nothing wrong... but if I did, please forgive me.

There is something about forgiveness that enables us to let go of feeling badly. It's even better to be forgiving.

Years ago, I used to walk around with anger. Colleagues frustrated me. Friends hurt me. Strangers were rude. Whatever the case, I focused too long on the issue, and not long enough on the letting go and forgiving part. Even when they didn't know they did anything wrong - I would hold onto it. Sadly.

Hanging on to anger and hurt is not healthy. And frankly, it only attracts more anger and hurt, in my opinion. I see too many people hung up on life's unfairness and been-done-wrongness that they let it rule their lives. "Someone hurt me, so I did not succeed because they made me feel badly about myself. It's their fault!" "Someone wronged me and so I am focusing my energy on wronging them back."

Whatever the case, now is the time to forgive. Let it go. Move on. Move up. Find your dream. Live your dream. Don't let anything, anyone, guilt or anger stand in your way.

There's a Jewish tradition to ask for forgiveness before the New Year so that we can start the year with a clean slate.

So I am asking you for forgiveness.

I am also asking you to ask your friends, family and colleagues for forgiveness.

And most importantly, I am humbly asking you to forgive yourself for anything you might have done to hurt yourself.

And if I'm wrong and I have done nothing wrong, or you have done nothing wrong, then please forgive me. I am sorry.

Forgiveness. It's a project.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

Happy New Year! (of sorts)

Dear Readers,

The thing about the Jewish New Year is that it follows the Jewish calendar, which means it doesn't occur on the same day every year, like let's say Christmas (December 25), Valentine's Day (February 14th) and July 4th. But it does generally take place in September. This year, the Jewish New Year, also known in Hebrew as Rosh Hashanah (the head of the year) will begin at sundown on September 29th.

Last year the Jewish New Year began on September 12, 2007. That's one year ago, today.

Earlier that day, we popped at cork over at the Syrup office as we kicked off the start of creating Savvy Auntie. Syrup is the creative agency behind the design of SavvyAuntie.com, the logo and much of the branding.

It was perfect timing. We were celebrating the start of a new year, with the start of the New Year.

And here were are, one year later. Wow.

It's just two months since the launch, and we have paying advertisers, a strong-size membership (over 1300!), traffic galor, major press, more press coming, and wonderful feedback from the Internet and Social Media communities, and of course the Auntie community.

Here's what I am busy doing:

Speaking with agents who are interested in helping me get my children's book published (It's called Auntie and Me and it's delicious!).

Meeting with Venture Capitalists and the meetings are going really well!

Working with brands to represent them on TV and other media!

Getting my Holiday Gifts Guides for Aunties locked up (I say that like I am anywhere near close to finalizing that)

Signing "insertion orders" (Those are contracts from advertisers on the site)

Confirming multiple speaking engagements.

Meeting fanstastic (FANTASTIC) people  who want to help.

Giving back as often as I can.

Oh ya, and managing the Website. 

I can honestly say that I am still overwhelmed. I don't know when this feeling of never doing enough soon enough is going to subside. Of course, I am so undeniably grateful for all my good fortune. I knew a year ago, when that meeting at Syrup took place, that I wanted unbelievable results.

I got them.

The site is listed on a number of sites that look at top design:

www.webcreme.com

www.lookom.com

www.mostinspired.com

www.101BestWebsites.com

Wow.

And to think, last year, on this day, I said to Syrup that I wanted to win a number of "best of" awards for design, user-interface, web strategy.

Looks like we're winning already.

It's been quite a year. Happy New Year to me. And to you. Even if you're not Jewish.

Because new beginnings are possible every day, for everyone.

And today is the start of a whole new year...