Clear skies and sunshine …

I am in a very positive place right now. Life is good and God is GREAT!! I have finished the first year of graduate school and although I learned some things about systems engineering, the “life” take-aways were the most needed. My focus on life and my place in it have been forever changed.

Most of the lessons learned were simple common sense things. Sometimes I get so caught up in “sweating the small stuff” that I lose sight of myself and the bigger picture. The following are my take-aways in broad strokes …

• Always stay true to who "you" are. When you allow other people and their negative moods/personalities to alter your mood/personality, you give them all the power. Never allow anyone to change who you are in a negative way – not even for a second – the damage is too great.
• Having integrity and keeping your word should be a priority. Your word should be considered a verbal contract and should be honored unless it is amended by mutual agreement of both bound parties.
• Focus on your strengths and work on your weaknesses but DO NOT beat yourself up.
• Identify opportunities and avoid/mitigate threats.
• Constantly burning your candle at both ends leads to “burn out”. You do not have to fill ever waking moment with something “to do” … stop and smell the roses … enjoy life and truly LIVE IT!!!