Birthday Thoughts

Today is my birthday. As you read this, I will be on my way to the city, to celebrate with a few close friends. Incredibly grateful for a year well spent. And well surrounded by some awesome people. Last year was a different picture though. I was hitting a bottom and everything was going wrong. I was in the wrong relationship, and putting an end to it was scary. There were some family issues and a lot of tensions. A big crisis at home and with managing my guest house. I chose to push through. Reassess my priorities and allocate my time and efforts accordingly.

It took a year to rebuild myself to where I wanted to be. To get rid of toxic relationships and cherish the rewarding ones. To push myself forward in a loving and caring way. I spent two months on a motorcycle exploring Patagonia.

 

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

A month in Texas and the MidWest looking for business opportunities and with a goal to have a meaningful interaction with one person every day. Between meetups, business meetings, Toastmasters, dates, and much more, I achieved my goal and then some. A big step for this introvert.

Pauline, Nebraska

 

Another couple of personal events made me unexpectedly go back to France right after and spend a few weeks of the summer there, strengthening the relationships I cared the most about.

14th of July in Paris

We celebrated life and new babies, and grieved our elderly who passed. We supported each other and reinforced our ties.

With my delightful little niece

A hurricane back home made me realize i can’t take my house for granted, and I put a lot of TLC into making it sturdier should another one come around.

 

A few random things I am proud of:

• Being kinder to myself and recognizing I am just human and don’t have to be overachieving every single minute.
• Turning my new house into a home, with the addition of wood cabinets or nice hammocks to lounge outside.

 

 

Even toucans want to live there!

• Being diplomatic and seeing the big picture when an asshole shot my dog.
• Admitting I need help, asking for it and receiving it gracefully. Go alone, go fast, go together, go far.
• Managing my staff who has been with me for several years when it doesn’t come naturally.
• Being a good friend and encouraging my loved ones to open up so I can help them, or just listen.
• Saying what I want, even if people get offended, because my well-being comes first.
• Making new connections, notably at FinCon, and getting out of my introverted bubble.
• Taking proactive steps to improve my dating life and remaining single until someone worthy of my awesomeness comes around. We may be getting close 🙂
• Rekindling with running and keeping an overall healthy lifestyle in spite of all the changes that tend to screw with my routine.

That smile is fake, I am really dying

• Keeping my education project afloat even though I was barely home this year.
• Automating my life even more, so I can take off whenever I want and the world will keep going.
• Investing a lot in myself, in the form of courses, books, things that will make my life easier or make me happier. That was one of only two goals for 2016 so check.

As I start this year, there is a huge smile on my face. I have some very exciting short term plans, and some clear directions for the longer term. I rocked this past year, the next one is going to be epic. Cheers!