Happy New Year! A Tribute to My Father

It’s been a while since I wrote a new post. There aren’t too many people I know who are not excited about 2012. Yes, there is more hiring going on and companies are loosening up their budgets a bit however there are still so many negative economic issues going on in the world that economists are predicting a flat year in 2012. But a new year always brings hope and the promise of possibility and new opportunities. It is also a time for people to think about changing bad habits or improving and developing their lives.
Personally, it’s been a tough year for me. My friend Mike Marino died suddenly earlier this year. And, after being ill for several years with cancer, my Dad a.k.a. Popsie died on December 11th. His name was David Moore Jansen and he was the strong, silent type, incredibly family oriented and loved teaching and coaching kids. His career was in insurance and he had an amazing work ethic. We shared a passion for selling and business in general. He was so proud of the fact that I am an author and without fail would go into every bookstore, march up to the information booth and ask if they had a copy of one of my books in stock. Usually he would buy it and give it away.
I love what I do for a living, it meets all of my values – making a difference, recognition, challenge, autonomy, etc. Next year I intend to have lots of fun, make new friends and learn about things I know nothing about.
My wish for you is that you too are able to live a life that fulfills your values. If you aren’t sure exactly what these are (and they do change as we age), I recommend that you figure out what they are. And have a happy, healthy, meaningful 2012!