thanksgiving1

Revisiting what I wrote at this time last year, it was mostly about the emotions I went through writing LET GO and the life victories as a result of it. I am happy to report that since then I have grown personally, relationally and professionally.

The thing I value the most in life is relationships particularly family relationships. I am continuously strengthening my bond with my husband of 25 years. We talk, laugh, travel, dance and adore our children together. He is truly my best friend and soul mate! The connections between me and my children are characterized by openness and understanding. They know they can come to me with good, not so good or even bad news because both Joe and I are more interested in helping them through the trials of life and building characters in the process. Pictures don’t always tell the whole story. We are by no means a perfect family, but we are closer and stronger than ever before!

In the past year I’ve enlarged my circle of friends from a diversified background because we share something in common, whether it’s the love of writing, the passion for life, or the pursuit of humanity. They have opened my eyes to a whole new world that I am learning to appreciate and admire. We are social animals and are hard wired to make deep and meaningful connections with others. I am thankful for all my friends, old and new, who have enriched my life in one way or another. I’ve also come to the realization that making friends requires risk taking, humility, vulnerability, as well as time investment. Without these elements, you’ll make superficial friends, not real ones.

My 1-month-old job is working out beautifully although I have to say the company’s new hire onboarding process is definitely broken. It took two weeks for me to get a laptop. This is my sixth week on the job and I still don’t have full access to the Data Warehouse that will allow me to do data driven strategic analytics. Needless to say I haven’t been busy other than being on a lot of conference calls and taking numerous mandatory online training sessions. My job isn’t well defined either, which I take as an opportunity. I am turning it what I think it should be. My analytical skills, SAS programming proficiency and organizational capabilities are coming in handy as I am sketching out my roles and responsibilities in the new organization. I also love the collaborative work environment and the fun loving younger crowd. The gym and the healthy-eating-focused cafeteria on the 11th floor are definitely a bonus. I have already made a new friend who lives just a couple of miles away from my house. She invited my whole family to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. What a lovely lady!

I used to get a lot of compliments on how I managed to stay calm and get things done under tremendous pressure and stress, however only I knew the turmoil that was going on inside. These days I live day to day with this newfound internal stillness that is in line with the outward appearance. And I am crafting my life in such a way it isn’t stretched beyond limit by choice. A balanced life of pleasure, engagement and meaning is a wonderful life.

It’s been an adventurous and rewarding year and I am truly thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!