Making Goals and Living in my own Skin – Birthday Epiphanies by Jamie Gilcig – July 31, 2011 – Cornwall Ontario

Cornwall ON –   Tis my Birthday today.    I turn 47  which means I’m another year closer to the big 50.   A very wise person once shared with me that certain days are great opportunities to take a step back and look at the big picture.

Where I am today, where I want to be tomorrow and how to get there.    I’ve always been a making goals kinda guy.

As I approached the Big 30 I decided that I wanted to take a shot at writing professionally, and being me I decided I had to give it everything I had; which I did.   It was a bumpy and wonderful trip in many ways with some days of sunshine and some days of darkness.    I’m so glad I did it, and it’s opened so many doors and led to so many memories.

So I gave up sports and focused on writing, and through the twisty and turny way that life leads I ended up here in Cornwall creating this online newspaper, or magazine, or simply this oddly crafted mish mash; or like they kept saying in the facebook movie “We don’t know what it is yet?”

This year has also been a big year of change for me personally.   I’m learning to be single again after a long term relationship.   My business is changing.    My life is changing in many ways too after having an epiphany or two.   I realized that I had to live in my own skin.  Either people like me or they don’t, but I’m going to live my life as who I am.     I respect people, but I also expect respect back especially in business.    I also realized that I’d tried too hard with some people to be nice.    In business I played Defense instead of a two way game to use a Hockey analogy.   Now it’s time to play a bit of offense and see if some of these people have the stomach to continue some of their negative behaviors or if we can all simmer down and work together towards some mutual goals where possible.

After losing a few very good friends this year and jettisoning some people in my life who after some sober thought I realized weren’t positive I’ve started to put together a three year plan.

Life is so very short and sometimes we get spinning faster than we probably should and miss out on much of the goodness floating around us whether it’s people, places, or moments of light that we shouldn’t.

For today I’m truly grateful for all that I have; the wonderful people in my life who I need to cherish more, and to some of the amazing opportunities I have and want to work towards.

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes!   And I hope you all have joy and health and pass the Karma along.

Doing good things and creating are what life truly is all about!

Jamie