2010 Was a Thrill Ride

I don’t know about you, but as I get older the years seem to flit by faster. Weren’t we all just sending good wishes for a Happy 2010?

I confess I constantly fight against the feeling that time is slipping away. I must force myself not to worry about what I haven’t accomplished yet. When I turned 38 (I won’t say how long ago that was) I remember someone saying to me, “Yeah, now is when you admit to yourself you’re never going to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.” Don’t worry this post gets cheerier.

The feeling that time goes faster is an illusion. For me, it actually indicates how full my life is now compared to my younger life. When I take stock of “what I shipped” Seth Godin and Brad Rourke style 2010 feels like a grand adventure.

On the work front
I got to work with some amazing clients including:
Columbia University
Concordia College
Dickinson College
Flint Hill School
Fredericksburg Academy
Girard College
The Hotchkiss School
Lafayette College
Middlesex School
NYU
Oglethorpe University
Philadelphia University
Ridley College
Saint Andrew’s School
Saint James School
Scripps College (It was a special honor to work with the new president of my alma mater on her inaugural speech.)
Spelman College
Swarthmore College
University of Delaware
The Winsor School
Yale University

I also got to work with some inspiring partners: Creative Communications Associates, Landesberg Design, Pentagram Design, Plainspoke, and Turnaround Marketing Communications.

In addition to all of the above, eight new clients came on board with projects now underway. I spoke at two national conferences and wrote some magazine articles.

On the personal creative front
I finished my novel, queried agents, and received several requests for the manuscript – an adventure that is still underway. I learned a whole lot about publishing versus writing – in a good way. I’ve been supported by many friends and mentors through the process of both.

On the home front
I watched my husband Brad get bitten by the yoga bug. Now we practice together, which has been such a fantastic gift. I watched my son Daniel get almost as tall as me (“I’m 5’ 2” and have a mustache. I am not little,” he declared.) I watched my daughter Carson become ever more awesome. I mended a difficult relationship with a family member. I welcomed two baby nieces into the world. I watched my mom fulfill her dream of going to Kenya – a trip that is only the beginning of more.

Looking back, 2010 was a thrill ride that leaves me grateful and optimistic about the New Year that begins today.

Sending you best wishes for your own new year of grand adventure.

Photo Credit: mgrayflickr

Institutions, Don't Waste Your Time

Tomorrow I will attend a friend's funeral. She was 40 years old and leaves behind three little girls under five. It's heartbreaking to all who knew her. At the same time I am working with a college readying itself for a major event in its institutional life. Dozens of members of this community have been drawn together to craft a great occasion. Yet during the last several months I've seen time and talent wasted in campus intrigues.

We tell ourselves campus politics go with the territory but they don't have to. When I think about the energy my friend's community generated to sustain her life, to encourage and nurture her children and to comfort and inspire one another over the last year and a half, I am in awe of the power of our collective energy.

Schools, colleges and universities are brilliant energy sources. Let's not waste our time on the insignificant.

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