When I read the obituary this morning of a distant friend, who was more of a roundabout friend of a friend,

it gave me an extreme amount of pause and sadness.

I didn’t know the man personally, but I knew of his presence in San Diego and I distinctly remember sitting in the meditation gardens, high on the cliff, back in June with him and his wife in the midst.

I knew then that he was sick, I could tell.

They were both clinging onto each other with such love and admiration. My man and I were gazing at the koi pond below us, and this man and his wife strolled up and did the same.

Something about their energy stuck with me for a long time. I even mentioned my seeing them to the mutual dear friend who lives close to the meditation gardens in North San Diego County. It is a pristine place, full of the most luscious flora anywhere around, and that speaks volumes for an eclectic beach community.

Everyone who lives there has an awareness of their local environs and what it means to them. It is special. It is unique. The meditation gardens held our own thoughts and feelings that summer afternoon, as we ourselves sidled up against each other with eyes closed and the ocean rolling far down below.

When this man and woman ambled along peacefully beside us, I felt something inside. I had seen him on the local news. He was a very well-respected anchorman and had been for most of his life. Living in San Diego—off and on—from the mid-1980’s to 2009, I had heard about his impact on the community, and how beautiful his family was, who always stood by his side and applauded his accomplishments.

His wife had her own stellar career in real estate, yet tabled it to be with him to the end of his life. That moment in the meditation gardens has been in my memory ever since our road trip to San Diego last summer. The success of that couple wasn’t in their respected time in the limelight; it was in their time spent together.

What they had achieved all came full circle as they stood next to each other, arm in arm, watching the koi and lily pads float in serenity. They were at peace.

Success can only be a measure of personal magnitude. We can liken it to the safety of the business and career world and who gets the gold watch at the end of their tenure. But it is when our highest accomplishments are recognized that the public takes notice and the world is the stage.

Life doesn’t seem so simple anymore. Just as this man and woman were at the height of their own success in business, it was his illness and cancer that brought the true meaning of achievement to a humble display in their personal glory. I saw it. It resided in their hearts. It magnified in their soulmate connection. It was who they were, masks off and all, for the community and public at large to see and behold their turmoil.

It remained in my mind for months. As December drew to a close I read about his death and remembered that moment in the meditation gardens where he and his wife shared their pain so close to me and my man.

It was simple.

It was real.

They seemed to have the ultimate success in their love. Even though I didn’t know them I felt that energetic compassion and deliberate soulful nature they expressed in silence. Now that he is gone, the honors pouring in are mostly for his love of family and friends, not his work success.

His fame and fortune resided in the heart.

This New Year and New Super Moon in Capricorn are asking that we continue to climb the mountain of our own personal success.

Whether relationships or striving for newness in your life the only thing that matters is what your heart wants to sing, your own personal passion. It takes diligence, patience, and an unending amount of perseverance not to give up on your dreams.

The Universe will always support you, if you remain true to the path and true to yourself. That is the main theme surrounding this New Moon, your own truth. Blow out the past. It is done. Clear up old unfinished business once and for all. Embrace the new energy around you.

The real security lies within your own heart. Face this truth and all will be well. I ponder this notion with 12 new months ahead of me.

Capricorn is a rather serious, steady-as-she-goes zodiac sign. The goat climbs and climbs until she reaches the top. It may take longer than anticipated, but she never gives up. There is a certain level of authority with the Saturn-ruled Capricorn. She has dignity and respect. She earns a significant amount of interest, mainly from her take-charge attitude. She is a walking stellar business and career persona, taking longer to achieve true success with more gratitude for the outcome. Either way, the ideal Capricorn mantra is to adjust one step at a time and go slowly and mindfully. There are no risks or aggressive behavior. There is only triumph and prosperity.

This is a time to get it done.

My thoughts drift to the passing of that legendary man, who I never truly knew in the personal sense. The only image that lingers in my mind was the love between him and his wife that significant day. It was their bond of togetherness that remained, and will forever.

It is with this New Moon in Capricorn that we all can experience our own wealthy hearts.

What is success in life unless you can share it with those you love?

The internal New Moon theme burns in our souls: we have each other, we have the hope and ability to create the life we want, and we must continue to climb that mountain that resonates with who we are.

The past years of baby steps have now turned into larger strides of eminence. Keep going until the deep breaths turn into great sighs of contentment. And always believe that success is more about love than anything else in this world.

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Editor: Rachel Nussbaum

Photo: Pixoto