Author G.K. Chesterton said that “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.”

The New Year brings a blank canvass. Opportunity and possibility stand patiently in front of us, offering salvation from what has been and deliverance to what can be. It’s up to us to fill the white space with the vibrant colors of magical living.

While we set benchmarks and resolutions, there is no sojourn in the unfurling of the universe. No breathless moment of silence that determines the transition from last to next. Nonetheless, there is a small pause, a moment of recognition in human consciousness, reminding us that we have the power to abandon last year’s imperfections into the silent limbo of the past and craft a new vision for the future.

Incremental changes can lead to exponential results. Big things happen when small things are perfected. In a time when pleasure has been cheapened, joy has been reduced, and happiness has been computerized, it’s easy to lose sight of the fundamentals that make life so precious.

So this holiday season, I have resolved to remember that the most significant part of writing a book is living the next chapter with authenticity, gratitude, compassion, and love.

I’d like to offer a sincere thank you to all of our readers for helping make 2011 a successful year for Green Builder Media. We have so many things from the past year to celebrate. We look forward to a joyful, rewarding, and equally productive 2012.

What are your New Year resolutions? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag for regular updates and breaking news.

In China, 2011 was the Year of the Rabbit. I like to think of it as the Year of Empowerment. The convergence of globalization, connectivity, and social media enabled individuals to share personal information in a completely unprecedented manner. Anyone with an Internet connection and a Facebook page can now become a critic, an expert, an advocate, and a publisher.

The shift from a one-way monologue (where governments, companies, and media could push information to consumers without the need to govern feedback loops) to a two-way dialogue (where consumers have instantaneous input and influence) has fundamentally changed our ability to shape the world around us.

From Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, the ‘innovation of sharing’ has empowered people to participate more fully in their lives, blending the lines between the concepts of ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom to.’ Sharing has given individuals the permission to exert greater control of their careers, their communities, and, in some cases, even their governments.

In today’s intricately connected global market, consumers receive the instant gratification of constant information. They expect to be systematically informed about the machinations, intricacies, and strategic decisions made by their friends, business colleagues, and political leaders. They also expect extreme transparency.

Savvy organizations effectively employ these advanced communication vehicles to generate active participation from their constituents and stakeholders. Those that have failed to utilize social communication to gage potential consumer backlash against major business decisions have suffered, such as Netflix, when it unexpectedly and unnecessarily raised prices 60%, resulting in an exodus of 1 million customers and a 75% decrease in its stock price, and Coca-Cola, when it changed its iconic red soda cans to an unrecognizable white design for a holiday promotional campaign, causing outraged Coke loyalists to claim sacrilege (even though the new design was implemented in honor of Coke’s partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to highlight global warming's threat to polar bears' Arctic habitat.)

While 2012 will undoubtedly bring continued financial hardship, political gridlock, and social unrest, we have the opportunity to take advantage of the communication tools at our disposal to seize greater control of our lives, foster enduring innovation, and deliver a message of unwavering hope and sustainability to our communities in a time when true leadership is decidedly absent on our seemingly rudderless global ship.

With a little luck, as well as the continued rise of consumer spending, housing numbers, and job growth, perhaps 2012 will live up to its Chinese Zodiac—the Dragon—an auspicious symbol of success and happiness.

Have 2011 reflections or 2012 projections that you’d like to share? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag for regular updates and breaking news.

Once in a while, magic happens—an enchanting moment that changes the course of your life for a while, or perhaps forever.

Something magical has recently happened to Green Builder® Media. We have joined forces with leading companies including Siemens, GM, Ingersoll Rand (Trane and Schlage), Boral, Panasonic, and Kohler to build one of our VISION House demonstration projects in INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®.

Our first reaction was sheer delight to have been selected by an organization like Disney with such extensive market influence and brand identification to relay the message of sustainable living.

Despite the magnitude of the opportunity, we didn't shy away from asking ourselves—and Disney—the hard questions. Could we create an authentic VISION House project in a theme park that could effectively stimulate sustainable thinking? Would people want to learn about green building and sustainable living while on vacation? And, perhaps most importantly, would the VISION House in INNOVENTIONS ultimately be green or greenwash?

Like many dominant corporations, Disney has been indicted by some environmental groups for business practices that could be considered unsustainable. But after extensive conversations with the Disney team about how the company plans to decrease its environmental footprint (including reducing emissions, electricity use, waste, and water use) and due diligence into their sustainability programs like Environmentality, Friends of Change, and their $15.5 million Climate Solutions Fund, we realized that the company's genuine passion for and commitment to sustainability was not just palpable, it was undeniable.

As Mr. Walt Disney himself said, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." So, we're marching into the belly of the beast—the heart of American culture—using the magic of storytelling to plant seeds of sustainable thinking in collaboration with one of the most powerful consumer brands in this very 'small world.'

Click here to read our launch press release announcement, and watch for updates from us about this incredibly exciting venture!

Have ideas about how we can change the world with the VISION House in INNOVENTIONS? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com or follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag for regular updates and breaking news.