Being offiicially 27 years into my journey, I found myself reflecting on the people, situations and experiences that have left the biggest footprint on me and that have influenced how I approach and view, well, life. I share this list of learnings with the simple hope that you might think about some of the biggest moments and lessons that have shaped who you are and who you are becoming. Here goes nothin…

1. Collecting moments trumps collecting things
2. People so badly want to be heard, so take the time to listen (cell phone off)
3. Nobody is normal. Joy, love, sadness, anger, frustration, embarassment, fear all make us human
4. Helping people achieve their goals is far more fulfilling than pursuing self-interests
5. A simple compliment can change a life
6. When you accept the fact that you are the one creating your life everything changes
7. Big life decisions are made when there is a discrepancy between who you are, who you want to be and who you think you should be
8. You really are your greatest asset……and your biggest road block
9. Ordinary people become extraordinary simply because they chose to be themselves. Furthermore on that, if someone doesn’t like you just the way you are, move on (and quickly), there are plenty of people out there who will love who you really are.
10. In order to succeed, you need to bet on yourself. Not on degrees, awards, or other external ‘qualifiers’ (thanks Chris!)
11. Turns out that when I was 15 years old I failed miserably at accurately predicting what my life would be like when I was 27. I thought I’d be married, have kids, probably have a dog and a backyard etc. etc….rrrrrright. Time sure flies but the good news is that things are pretty amazing.
12. Most of the time what you are looking for is right in front of you (but you probably wouldn’t have realized it without taking the scenic route….its ok we all do it, don’t beat yourself up when you realize it was right there all along)
13. Once I stopped fighting it, I realized how great it was to be my mother’s daughter
14. The ability to ask the right questions trumps giving answers
15. Simply letting someone know you believe in them can change their life 
16. Vulnerability is not equated with weakness, it is a measure of courage
17. I am lost without my core values
18. You become more and more like those you surround yourself with. Its a bit eerie actually, but true, so choose wisely
19. Business language is often not human language, let’s speak human in business shall we?!
20. Things always work out in the end. Maybe not the way we expected, but they always work out.
21. Being happy is better than being right (thanks for that one Mike!).  For a type-A, this learning was a blessing.
22. Your health is your life
23. Always be kind to strangers because you never know what someone is going through at that exact moment, their world could be crumbling
24. Kids are geniuses
25. The difference between what actually happens and what you think happens in any situation, is a story you make up
26. Everyone is my superior in some way, in that I can learn from them
27. If you never act, you will never know for sure

Bonus (because I’m officially 27 and 1 day old):  You don’t have to do it alone. In fact, you can’t. 

Looking forward to another great year!