Growing... into 2010
What have I learned in a year.
As of last Wednesday, I am now 45 and as I look to the 46th year of my life the question has to come up. What did I learn in the last 365 days and what do I expect for the following year.
I learned in my 45th year that courage comes in all different shapes and sizes.
That family is a gift, and my parents being alive, healthy, and happy is a great gift to me, my siblings, and their grandchildren.
That dogs are wiser than we humans give them credit for.
That with choices comes a challenge, confusion, and sometimes a desire to stand in one place.
That many people go through the motions every day. I have created a life where I am full of choice. As I try to navigate these choices, happiness is a challenges. As my friend Rich said yesterday, it was easier going to work every day. You built a routine in your life and things just happen. But, when you have choices and part of that choice is time, and flexibility, that it is hard to maintain focus or happiness. Especially in a society where one of the defining questions is what do you do for work.
I learned that honesty can be painful. That sometimes you look for an easy way out of a challenge, but there isn't one. That every response to people you care about cannot always be appreciated or understood by them or others.
That I love Provincetown, and I love Fort Lauderdale. Not sure what that means yet.
That I am happy to have made the choice to leave IBM. But, I miss the people and the energy that went with IBM. Maybe, back to Rich's comment I miss the lack of daily choice. Although, I had such variety of work at IBM I always felt like my jobs were my choices. There is a unique chemistry of IBM people in the world, and sometimes you have to leave to appreciate it.
That sometimes the reality of ownership is surprising, and costs money that we don't always consider when making a purchases. Thankfully, I learned that a long time ago.
That sunshine is not the same all over. Florida sun and Ptown sun are not the same.. nor are the moons and how they light up each town.
That peppermint schnapps is dangerous. That a pear Cosmo is one of those drinks you should not try at home. Please leave to professionals.
That human touch is not a luxury but a necessity.
That to be successful in a relationship, focus on the relationship and internal communication. As compared to what you communicate to others. We get caught up in the image we portray, and lose sight of the actual relationship. I think this is true of all areas of our lives, but it impacts the health or a relationship more.
Susan Boyle shows what can happen when you focus on your talent, and not on what people think your talent should be. And age is not the defining decision of career choices.
That work does not define me, but when it is good it rewards me with more than just financial.
People of leadership, whether religious or otherwise, need to think of everyone hearing their message. Message of hate, or shame can impact younger people. Coming out starts much younger and a message of shame from the pulpit can cause unneeded anguish. Kids who hear they are damaged, or need to be repaired for what is natural to them learn to hate themselves at a time when they should be learning to love who they are.
I have an innate belief that mother nature still controls our environment and we are her guests and we should help but in the end she will dictate change more than we humans think we can. (I could be proven wrong of course).
That, Oprah is right, some of the time. In particular when people show you who they are believe them.
That some people live in today. They don't focus on money, or the long term picture, and many of these people are happier than those who work on a life plan.
We can set a plan for our lives, but that these plans are meant to be broken. There was a quote posted on facebook "Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning..." Gloria Steinem" I certainly hope this is not true. I do not like to think of dreams as structured plans, but as open minded thinking looking for new paths or just personal entertainment. The full quote is "Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." I still find this to be a little too structured for true dreamers, but at least it is more balanced to me.
If you are walking down the street everyone thinks you don't have squat. You become a third class citizen behind cars, and bicycles.
As of last Wednesday, I am now 45 and as I look to the 46th year of my life the question has to come up. What did I learn in the last 365 days and what do I expect for the following year.
I learned in my 45th year that courage comes in all different shapes and sizes.
That family is a gift, and my parents being alive, healthy, and happy is a great gift to me, my siblings, and their grandchildren.
That dogs are wiser than we humans give them credit for.
That with choices comes a challenge, confusion, and sometimes a desire to stand in one place.
That many people go through the motions every day. I have created a life where I am full of choice. As I try to navigate these choices, happiness is a challenges. As my friend Rich said yesterday, it was easier going to work every day. You built a routine in your life and things just happen. But, when you have choices and part of that choice is time, and flexibility, that it is hard to maintain focus or happiness. Especially in a society where one of the defining questions is what do you do for work.
I learned that honesty can be painful. That sometimes you look for an easy way out of a challenge, but there isn't one. That every response to people you care about cannot always be appreciated or understood by them or others.
That I love Provincetown, and I love Fort Lauderdale. Not sure what that means yet.
That I am happy to have made the choice to leave IBM. But, I miss the people and the energy that went with IBM. Maybe, back to Rich's comment I miss the lack of daily choice. Although, I had such variety of work at IBM I always felt like my jobs were my choices. There is a unique chemistry of IBM people in the world, and sometimes you have to leave to appreciate it.
That sometimes the reality of ownership is surprising, and costs money that we don't always consider when making a purchases. Thankfully, I learned that a long time ago.
That sunshine is not the same all over. Florida sun and Ptown sun are not the same.. nor are the moons and how they light up each town.
That peppermint schnapps is dangerous. That a pear Cosmo is one of those drinks you should not try at home. Please leave to professionals.
That human touch is not a luxury but a necessity.
That to be successful in a relationship, focus on the relationship and internal communication. As compared to what you communicate to others. We get caught up in the image we portray, and lose sight of the actual relationship. I think this is true of all areas of our lives, but it impacts the health or a relationship more.
Susan Boyle shows what can happen when you focus on your talent, and not on what people think your talent should be. And age is not the defining decision of career choices.
That work does not define me, but when it is good it rewards me with more than just financial.
People of leadership, whether religious or otherwise, need to think of everyone hearing their message. Message of hate, or shame can impact younger people. Coming out starts much younger and a message of shame from the pulpit can cause unneeded anguish. Kids who hear they are damaged, or need to be repaired for what is natural to them learn to hate themselves at a time when they should be learning to love who they are.
I have an innate belief that mother nature still controls our environment and we are her guests and we should help but in the end she will dictate change more than we humans think we can. (I could be proven wrong of course).
That, Oprah is right, some of the time. In particular when people show you who they are believe them.
That some people live in today. They don't focus on money, or the long term picture, and many of these people are happier than those who work on a life plan.
We can set a plan for our lives, but that these plans are meant to be broken. There was a quote posted on facebook "Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning..." Gloria Steinem" I certainly hope this is not true. I do not like to think of dreams as structured plans, but as open minded thinking looking for new paths or just personal entertainment. The full quote is "Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." I still find this to be a little too structured for true dreamers, but at least it is more balanced to me.
If you are walking down the street everyone thinks you don't have squat. You become a third class citizen behind cars, and bicycles.
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