My life is half over. . . . .

Today is my 43rd birthday. According to Canadian statistics I have lived half of my life. I can look at this situation two ways - I am either on the down hill slide of my life or what I am going to do with the rest of my time to leave a legacy.

I choose to leave a legacy.

During the first half of my life I have learned a few lessons along the way. I thought I would share them with you:

• Live life on purpose. In college I read a quote that said: "Choice and not chance will determine your destiny." This was a game changer for me. I was always waiting for something good to happen to me and wondering how all these other people were getting the things that I thought that I deserved. That quote knocked me out of my selfish thinking and into a thought pattern that I had to actively choose to work hard to gain whatever I wanted to achieve in life.
• Never stop learning. I am a strong believer in life long learning. There is always one more thing to learn, there will always be new areas to grow in, always a new book to read. Continue to build into you. You deserve it!
• Community is integral. We are created for community. We need community. We need to spend time with others that will build into us, encourage us, help us to be a person. Whether is a peer or a mentor relationship, this is something that you must make time for.
• Always do your best. In whatever you do, you are representing yourself - I don't mean selfies.  Always do your best. There is no excuse to give anything less.

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself - and be lenient to everybody else."
​                 - Henry ward Beecher

• Practice Gratitude. Start writing 3 notes of gratitude each day. Studies show that by doing this simple exercise daily you will have more alertness, enthusiasm, optimism, attentiveness, energy, more motivated, likable, generous, helpful, more likely to volunteer and giveback. "Be happy with what you have while working for what you want." -  Helen Keller
• Write everything down. "Paper is to write things down that you want to remember. Our brains are used to think." - Albert Einstein   Did you know that Einstein had shelf after shelf of journals? His belief was if he emptied his mind of all of his thoughts and ideas, it would make room for new thoughts and ideas. I think he was on to something there. Our minds are full of passwords, phone numbers and to do lists. Write them down - you might be surprised with what comes into the room that you make in your mind. Take the time to write down your goals and dreams. Once they are written down they become more real and are more likely to be achieved.
• Make a difference where you are. The world is full of individuals who have chosen to stand out and make a difference where they are. We all have the same 24 hours a day to stand up and make a difference. Sometimes you need to change your perspective in order to change your perception.
• Take advantage of every opportunity. That is the thread that ties all of these life lessons together. Never doubt yourself and never give up. Don't be afraid to do scary things - you are capable of achieving far more that you can imagine. Go out and make a difference.

I am excited to start the second half of my life with all the things that I have yet to learn and all the  opportunities will cross my path!