Welcome 2008
The new year has arrived. It is a year I have been eagerly awaiting, perhaps the year for which I have most prepared in my life. I start the year as the father of a happy and healthy six-month-old baby girl, a husband of twelve years, and a professional of ten. That framework combined with a significant amount of work examining where I am and what I’m doing provide the basis for a year of change. Good change, hard-fought change, but ultimately change that I can accomplish purposefully.
Of the many lessons 2007 taught me, one stands out: I can be selfish. Selfish almost to the point of being childish. What’s in it for me, how does this make me happier, what can I do to warp this situation to suit my needs of the moment? Perhaps it’s the only child in me coming to the surface in my adulthood. Perhaps it’s the "guy" in me who simply wants his way all the time. 2007 was about breaking down a petulant sense of entitlement, a year of examining my motivations and my goals. It was painful, personal, and honestly not a year I’d care repeat. While many wonderful things happened in 2007, both personally and professionally, it was also very sad and very scary. 2008 will be about understanding what is truly important, prioritizing those things above others, and following through. Every day, every week, every month of this year, listening honestly and acting decisively with passion and compassion.
I’m glad you’re here, 2008. We needed you to come.
