This is such a fun time of year to stop and reflect and think about all the things that have unfolded in the past year and to be grateful for it all.  Also, to stop and look forward to everything that is to come! (Like the Christmas season, which I can’t wait for!)  For me in particular this is an exciting time and season for me, and I will tell you why…  Over the past year, I’ve been through quite a lot.  I want to take a second to look back and see where life has taken me since November of 2008….

Since then….I was laid off and found myself in a heavy job search in a terrible economy, which while it wasn’t easy was one of the best experience I have had.  I then landed a great new job where I’ve learned so much about the corporate world and what I want out of my career.  Since then, I’ve done a lot of traveling and I feel very lucky to have been able to do that allowing me to visit great friends. I’ve had to say goodbye to best friends who moved cross country. I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with family in San Diego.  I took a spontaneous trip to LA to surprise my little sister.  I booked a flight, left work and flew out last minute on a Friday to Indianapolis to see my college roommate.  It was a trip that essentially changed my mind set about staying on the West Coast. I watched my brother, Ryan, marry the love of his life. I took a trip to see New York for the first time.

I went to the windy city for my sister-in-law’s bachelorette and instead of just staying on Michicgan Ave, I did the touristy Chicago thing for the first time including Navy Pier and the Sears Tower. I watched my little sister turn 21.  Over the past 6 months, I’ve taken in the skylines in Chicago, Indy, New York & San Diego with people I love.  I’ve surfed, I’ve spent time running by the San Diego Bay… I’ve apprecaited where I live. I had one of the best birthday’s I’ve had at the Shouthouse in Downtown San Diego with old friends and new friends combined.  I’ve had friends come visit me from the midwest.  I spent time in Newport Beach with friends, I saw Redando Beach and Yuciapa and new parts of California I had yet to see.

I went snowboarding for only the second time in my life and realized I love it. I’ve spent a lot of time considering my career and… coming up on my mid 20’s… allowed myself to reflect on what I want next out of life.  I’ve spent my due diligence figuring out how to get there and make those things happen in my career. Part of that, was making the decision to move around rather than staying in the city I grew up in and so in the past few months alone I have made some pretty huge decisions about my life.  After Christmas I will be moving cross country to Indianapolis. A move that I couldn’t be more excited about! (More details to follow in future posts….)

In short, I am so thankful for the people in my life, the unfolding changes that have come about in the past year and even the tough decisions I have had to make. Erma Bombeck once wrote about the subject of thankfulness, saying that when she forgot to be thankful among cancer survivors, she would hear the voice of a particular eight-year-old named Christina, who had cancer of the nervous system. When Christina was asked what she wanted for her birthday, she thought for a moment and then responded by saying “I don’t know. I have two sticker books and a Cabbage Patch doll. I have everything!”  I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s been an amazing year for me, and the outlook for next year is even better. I’m happy, I’m grateful, and I feel as though I have everything!! Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your friends & family and don’t forget to be grateful for it all!

It is my belief that traveling, even on a small scale within the United States has incredible value in the way that it adds to your life perspective.  It reminds you there is life out there outside of the small everyday world that you experience.  It changes opinions, perspectives, aspirations, and… if you one who itches to see more, experience more and learn more, then it can change desires as well.

In the past couple of months I’ve had several weekends away from my beautiful home in San Diego… Philadelphia, Washington DC/Bethesda area, Newport Beach, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, New York City… and this weekend I’m headed to Fort Wayne Indiana! (Don’t ask why…haha)

Honestly, from big city to small town, the value of getting away (the way that I have recently) cannot be matched. It opens your eyes to the world outside your own, and to all different kinds of lifestyles. I’m 23 years old, I’ve got nothing that says I can’t pick up and leave for a weekend. No little dog at home to be babysat, no husband and child to worry about (or feed)… it’s truly and incredible unique time in my life, and I’m blessed to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities at hand to get out and travel some! So I’ve jumped back onto Dopplr with the intention of actually using it this time! 

My encouragement to you….

Go search cheap flights. Go see some friends cross country. Travel is expensive, but the expeirence is worth every dime, (or $100 dollar bill). It changes the way you see things, and it may change the way you chose to live….

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Success is acheived by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.

- Marilyn vos Savant (American Journalist)

I have learned lately that as you get further and further into your respective field or industry, some of the most important things you will learn are about yourself. You will realize what your own strengths and weaknesses are and this is an incredibly valuable lesson to learn. You’ll figure out what you’re good at, what you aren’t so good at, what you enjoy, what you can’t stand, what you don’t mind, and what you’re asked to do because your the best at it.

I think it’s invaluable to realize what you want to do in life and in your respective career and what you don’t want to do. It’s also just as important to recognize what you are aren’t great at, as it is to know where your strengths lie.  

I had decided this a couple months ago, as I analyzed my own strengths and weaknesses in the field of public relations, and I was recently given an amazing bit of advice that backed up my own belief.  Many management programs will focus on strength and weaknesses and once you can label what those are for you, they focus you on your weaknesses with the intention on improving you and making you better and more able in those areas. Now – this may sound like a great idea, but this smart and successful woman giving me this advice painted a different picture for me. Why in the world would you categorize your strengths and weakness and what you enjoy vs. what you don’t, only to zero in on what you’re bad at? If you are a great writer, and a great speaker, why in the world wouldn’t you focus on those areas in order to better yourself, and get better in an area where you clearly have talent? If you can think on your feet, and are a fantastic sales person, or pitcher – then why would you sit yourself down and put pen to paper (or typing fingers to mac book air… whatever) and force yourself to learn to be a good writer? Exactly. You wouldn’t, or at least you wouldn’t enjoy it.

It makes very little sense to focus on the negative and/or weakness and beat yourself up for it. The clarity and sense is in focusing on what you love to do, and improving on that skill that you are good at until you can rightfully call it an area of expertise.

I’ve taken this lessons and I am letting it direct the rest of my career. Money shouldn’t lead you, acheiving fame shouldn’t direct your path, happiness and contentment – enjoyment in the workplace SHOULD! So figure out what you love to do – and if you learn to do that well, the money and success will soon catch up to you.

At times, our strengths propel us so far forward we can no longer endure our weaknesses and perish from them.

- Friedrich Nietzsche (German Classical Scholar, Philosopher & Critic of Culture 1844-1900).

I wanted to take a minute to encourage you all to fight that mind set this year. Don’t move your goals inside the box so that they are attainable. Better to make an unreachable goal and get closer to it, than to set one below the bar, and cheat yourself out of that “ah-ha” sense of accomplishment that makes it all worth it.  This new years – set a HIGH goal, give yourself a goal you may never quite reach, and then push yourself to get as close to it as you can. Baby steps are fine, that’s often necessary, and I’m not knocking the reach-able goals but they need to lead to something more, something big this year. It’s 2009!!

What’s something you think you’ll never be able to do? For me it’s run a marathon. Maybe I’ll run a 10K early this year, and if I get really ambitious maybe by next December I can find the time to train for a half. Friends… lets be honest — I may never run a marathon in my life, but if I set that as a goal this year (despite the fact that I’m completely convinced that I can’t) maybe I’ll get a little closer to it than I would otherwise.

This new years, think big! Be forward thinking and postive. Give yourself a good goal this time around, and then lets see how close you can get to it in ‘09.  We may surprise ourselves.

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I wanted to add to my “new years post”  after reading a great post by my brother Ryan. He writes about how important it is to acknowlege the lessons that 2008 tought us. I commented on his post by reflecting on the important lesson that I have learned this year, going through a layoff and finding new employment. 

A big lesson for me in 2008: Stay Active- if you’re always doing something, you’ll be doing something right!

I learned that if you remember that you’re awesome  and you keep confidence and positivity close. Keep your “inner drive” going, if you will, then you’ll land in a good spot! I learned so much this year about motivation, about going after something that you want, about how much a mind set can change your situation, and how important it is to stay positive and forward thinking AND moving.  I love to chat about the truths I learned this year, mostly in the past 3 months.

2008 was a good year. Ryan’s post is a great reminder to take it’s lessons with us into 2009!!