2015 Gratitude, Highlight, and Wisdom

What are your 2015 reflections?

In my last blog I wrote about one of our family holiday rituals of sharing the answers to Three Questions related to the past year. While I have much to be grateful for, have many highlights from 2015, and lessons I learned (often the hard way), I have narrowed down my answers below.

The Three Questions:

1. What was the highlight of your year?

2. What are you most grateful for?

3. What wisdom would you pass down to the next generation from something you learned this year?

My 2015 Highlight, Gratitude, and Wisdom

Highlight

“Who you surround yourself with has more bearing on whether or not you will make it than your ‘plan’ does” – Henry Cloud

Personal and professional growth is very important to me. Toastmaster’s International is an organization I have been involved with for many years. It is a group of like minded people who want to improve their speaking and leadership skills. Not only does this group help me improve my speaking programs, the friendships I have made are the real deal. This year I helped to charter a new club. Being part of the charter group was a team effort and deepened our friendships even further.

Gratitude

“Happily ever after is not a fairy tale, it’s a choice” – Fawn Weaver

In June my parents were married 60 years and over 100 people came to celebrate with them! It was wonderful to see my parents so happy and reconnect with friends and family I had not seen in years. I am grateful for my parent’s commitment to one another and the character traits of integrity, honesty, and work ethic they have modeled to me.

Wisdom

“Slow down, to speed up” – author unknown

While I am have much to be grateful for and 2015 had many highlights, perhaps like you, there were patches this year when things didn’t go as planned. Whether you have experienced a personal setback, professional challenge, or are overwhelmed with the world events we are facing, sometimes it helps to slow down your pace and take time to do less in order to get re-energized and re-calibrate.

For years I have struggled with back pain. Usually I have been able to manage it through various approaches, but this fall the pain was worse than ever. I was forced to do less and slow down. Since I like to be active, it has been an adjustment and an opportunity to practice what I often speak about. As a result of taking this time, I have not only begun to physically feel better, and feel refreshed going into 2016.

Make the conscious choice to take in the good from 2015 and move into 2016 wiser from what you have learned and experienced this year

I would love to hear your responses to the above three questions!