Reflections from 2011

It’s always amazing to me to think about the ebbs and flows of life.  When I reflect back on the ups and downs of 2011, I am reminded of our most precious asset…TIME.  It’s one of the few things we own that can’t be returned, manipulated, broken or even exchanged. Yet we lose track of it, squander it, and waste it away, all while we understand that once it’s gone… there’s no getting it back. Time in a nutshell, equals LIFE.  Looking back on my time spent in 2011, it’s ebbs and flows have been some of the best and some of the worst in my life, but I can honestly say that I wouldn’t change a thing.

Early 2011 saw some of my toughest work, in one of the most challenging markets, all while in the midst of an arduous economy.  My team and I dug deep, and got it done during a time when no one thought it could be done.

Mid-year, that success allowed me to pack up my life in San Antonio, and neatly configure it into a 10 x 10 storage unit so that I could finally fulfill a dream that was only made possible because of the availability of time and proper planning.  The strategy was to spend the next twelve months exploring Central America while indulging my deepest desires.  Everything from becoming fluent in Spanish, and erudition of Latin cuisine to obtaining my scuba diving certification was on the list of things to do…but after only three months of shear and utter bliss… the dream fulfilled was interrupted by tragedy. While kayaking and hiking the volcanoes of the Lake Atitlan Region of Guatemala, I received the dreaded phone call from my mother that her breast cancer was back. The last quarter of 2011 brought my bliss to an abrupt halt so that I could support my mother during her war against breast cancer.

I mention all of this to prove my earlier point.  Time really is our most precious asset and it is not promised to any of us.  While we’ll always find ways to “kill time,” we should always be cognizant of how we spend it.

I challenge all of us to use the time we have left in ways that matter.  This will mean different things to different people, but for me my sole New Years Resolution for 2012 and for EVERY YEAR AFTER

            MAKE THE BEST OF THE TIME I HAVE HERE ON EARTH!  

For me that translates into:

            LIVE DARINGLY… (make every moment count)

            GIVE BOLDLY… (make a difference any way you can- it ain't just about money)

            LEAVE LOVE EVERYWHERE YOU’VE BEEN… (this just might be your legacy)