Yep. That’s right, 2008 has arrived. This December was a flurry of holiday activities and wonderful gatherings with family & friends. This is normally the time of year where I take stock of goals. (Personal, Professional, Financial, Educational, Spiritual, Physical, etc.)

I think that I will take January for this time of reflection and introspection. 2007 was a tremendous year for me and I feel incredibly blessed. Looking back:

Professional
I had a very rocky start to my professional year, but upon consideration, I decided to make some lemonade out of the lemon that was handed to me. I morphed my position at work into one of a jack of all trades. I have become a resource and a go to person for our management team. My facilitation skills and project management tools have come in quite handy and I dubbed my new title, “Common Sense Engineer”. The transition was gradual, but effective. I believe I have achieved a good work-life balance, although I still feel somewhat under-utilized at work. As long as I am under-utilized, I feel it is my responsibility to use my extra time to assist in community causes and fund raising for youth related programs.

Personal
The past year has been a pinnacle year for me. The amount of time spent with family and friends was a beacon of goodness for me. It was a real treat to be able to spend 5 weeks in the Maritimes visiting old haunts and familiar faces. My circle of friends in Regina has grown considerably, both in quantity and quality. I am blessed to be in the company of some of the most incredible people there are. I do not take that for granted for one second. Many of my friends have been met through some hobby pursuits. I play a number of weekly board games that are fun, social, and stimulating. I bought a significant number of board games this year and have ritualized a few games into a weekly event. The art of play is alive and well at our house.

Our Poker League (Poker For Hacks) has grown to a point we have to turn people away. I will never be a great Poker player, but I would like to think I know a few. 🙂 Truthfully, our poker group is a fun group that does not take the game too serious. The level of play has certainly elevated.

I am honored and humbled to have Kathy, Krystal, & Teri in my life. Kathy is a joy and in addition to being a wonderful person and partner, she is a source of inspiration for me. I constantly learn something about myself through her eyes. The girls are both young, beautiful women, well on their way to making their mark on the world. They are very diverse in their interests and how they approach life with zeal.  They are young, full of dreams, and have vibrant social lives. I have been lucky to spend so much time with them both in 2007.

There are so many things for me to be thankful for in 2007, that I am afraid I might cheapen them if I speak at length. I see so many people that seem to be unhappy, or maintain a focus on the negative, that I am even more starkly reminded of how lucky I am. My health is fine, I have a decent career, my family and friends are all doing well on their chosen paths, my hobbies are numerous and gratifying…
…clearly, I need to give something back to the community that has blessed me so strongly.

May the path you choose, open before you with surprise and delight.

Humbly Yours,
Matt