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Happy Holidays

Well, it's just a few days until Christmas, and only a handful more before the year 2009 comes to a close.  As I look back on the last 12 months, I am amazed at all that has been accomplished both in my personal and professional lives.  It is impressive not because the accomplishments have been grandiose, but because even with the flailing economy there has been room for progress.  So, as we move forward into 2010 I am excited to discover new opportunities and adventures that will come from the stabilizing of the housing and financial markets as well as the chance to take a few more steps towards my personal hopes and dreams.

As I prepare to embark on a new journey, here are some great bits of insight that have helped to inspire me over the last 12 months, and that continue to help validate my decision to change my life path:

Mike Rowe on American Labor
On a midnight venture across the Internets to try to find something interesting, I stumbled across this video of Mike Rowe speaking to a technology group.  What he has to say about changing the views of real work is fantastic, simple, and true.  In our quest to make life a little easier, our society has begun to shun and belittle the everyday workers that make the world tick.  The thing I love about Mike Rowe (aside from the deep throaty voice and sexy body) is that he isn't out to please the masses - he's simply got a point that working people are good, happy, centered people; and maybe we could all learn a little from the little guy cleaning gutters and sweeping streets.

Randy Pausch: The Last Lecture
This video is a couple of years old, but the inspiring words of Randy Pausch can never die.  His amazing life was filled with achievements, and overflowed with the ability to make it clear that it IS possible to achieve your childhood dreams.  My husband and I love this lecture so much that we also bought the book (available here) and have both watched/listened to the lecture and read the book multiple times.  Although Randy is no longer with us, his light is still a beacon to those who dare to dream.

From Uruguay to Hollywood
When I first read this article and watched the movie, I silently marked one more tick on my mental tally of wins for the little guy.  In the midst of the over-hype of Avatar (a $200 million movie that is destined to fail because the revenue needed to break even is likely unreachable) comes a regular guy making his own alien movie on a $300 budget.  Albeit brief, the video and overwhelming response from Hollywood brings us back full circle to a time when it was possible for anyone with a great idea and a work ethic to make it big.  Congrats to Fede, and I look forward to seeing more from him in the coming years!

I hope that you enjoy these three vids as much as I have, and that you are able to take a little courage from them to try something new.  Whether it's writing the next great novel, painting the next masterpiece, or simply completing a project at your day job, I hope that you find success where you seek it and are rewarded for your efforts when you least expect it.

Merry Christmas to you, and Happy New Year.

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