I, like so many others, am often guilty of not slowing down to appreciate the here and now – to “smell the roses” so to speak. That famous quote: “Life is a journey, not a destination” has never really resonated with me. I’m much more apt to focus on getting “there” – wherever or whatever “there” may be. But, with that, I rarely take the time to reflect on the past, appreciate my present or step back to get a perspective on what the future may hold.
This holiday season I had a chance to spend time with my family (and my soon to be family!) – and what a great time it was. Sitting in Tahoe, snow falling, laughs echoing through the house, I sat back and took it all in – smiling from ear to ear . Wow, how quickly the years have zipped by.
As I took a moment to reflect on my past, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I have been. Don’t get me wrong, not every day has been sunshine and rainbows, but on the whole I’ve lived an entirely blessed life. In my professional life, I’ve enjoyed great opportunities and have had a chance to work with some amazing people both inside and outside of Silicon Valley. In my personal life, I have travelled the world, been on some amazing adventures, fell in love with the woman of my dreams, and just recently got engaged!
For those that know me, this will come as no surprise: although I’m extremely grateful and humbled by how lucky I have been, I’m rarely satisfied with the status-quo. I can’t help but want to climb that next peak, to see just a little further down the path, to know what the next possibility might entail – maybe even to the point of detriment. With so many things to 
be thankful for, what possibly does one strive for? How do you make sure stagnation doesn’t become common place? Sure, there is always “more”. More this, more that, you can always work for more – but that is a road that never really ends – trust me.
Rather than just work for “more”, about 6 months ago I set off on a new kind of journey. One which I hope will bring all kinds of excitement through 2017. After years of contemplating, preparing and knowing that eventually I would – I’ve finally decided to embrace my entrepreneurial ambitions. My desire to innovate, solve challenges and have a real impact has always been strong. Having actually started my professional life as an entrepreneur, the thought of going back to that life comes with mixed emotions. The saying goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know”, but being many years older (and hopefully a few years wiser), armed with my past experiences, I’m excited to tackle this new professional challenge.
2017 will prove to be an amazing year. Between getting married (June 2017! – yes babe, I won’t forget J ), moving out of San Francisco to find a place to put down roots for our one day family, and getting my startup off the ground, I’m sure this year will be yet another that flashes by. My one and only hope for 2017: I get a chance to “stop and smell the roses” and really enjoy what an amazing life I have been blessed with. To all my friends and family, I wish you the very best in 2017 and look forward to spending time with each and every one of you.
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