A Year in Review

December 31, already.  Whoever first wrote "time flies" wasn't kidding.  

For that reason and many others, I tend to take some time at various points during the year, including this one, to reflect on what has been, what is, and what I would like to have happen in the future.  

As I look back over this year, I am proud of many major accomplishments. 

In my consulting and training business, I tackled some significant challenges that needed my attention, and that were extremely difficult for me to deal with.  And, they are now handled.  I also did a lot of organizing, cleaning up messes, and made much more strategic choices about the use of my time.  I also continued the path of reclaiming personal time.  So, I am entering 2008 feeling much more peaceful than I did entering 2007. 

In my personal life, there are many things to celebrate as well.  One of the clear highlights is the trip I made this past February to Israel, with my wife, my father, and a close cousin of mine.  We went there to meet Moshe, the man my grandparents sheltered from the Nazis in The Netherlands during WWII.  Meeting Moshe, his wife, his 5 children, and his 26 grandchildren was a very powerful and moving experience - one I will never forget.  It was also an important trip from my father's perspective, and I'm so happy I made it with him (for those of you who are newer to my blog, I wrote about this trip in my February and March entries, so if you want some background, check out those posts).  These are the things one remembers and cherishes in life, and my plan is to never stop doing things like this.

Tomorrow my wife and I are going to spend some time looking back at the year in more detail, specifically listing what we are grateful for, and we will capture some of the bigger picture goals we have for 2008. 

My invitation to you is to take some time to do something similar for yourself.  Life is short, and I find it gets richer when I pause to notice and look for the positive in things, and give thanks for it.

I wish you a wonderful New Year.