A Complete Life

I have Great Coworkers!

Last Wednesday, our company participated in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. It's a 3.5 mile race for charity. It also really hit me over the head with what great coworkers I have here.

I suggested the idea on a whim...an everyone was so enthusiastic! It was great to have support for something

1. Our team has never done before
2. I have never done before (I've never run a 3.5 mile race in my life!)

In fact, virtually all of the company was able to make it (and we really missed L who couldn't).

I felt so proud that everyone loved the T-shirts. (They say, "We think faster than we run.") I felt even prouder when we arrived on the field, the fog not dampening our spirits one bit, all proudly showing our company colors.

OK, so I run slower than everyone else in the company. Which actually turned out to be a blessing. As I came around the final bend, and sprinted the final stretch, there was the whole team, whooping and hollering for me. Thanks, guys! It's because of you that I ran my fastest ever: 3.5 miles at a 10-minute mile.

Next year, I hope that I'll be cheering someone else onto the the finish line...

Overheard at a Wedding

Ted and I were blissfully dancing...as we always do. Not perfect, but completely immersed in a world of us, the music, and the present moment. An old man taps us on the shoulder:

I used to be a professional dancer before World War II. Let me tell you, I think you guys are wonderful. Thanks for giving an 88-year-old inspiration to get up and dance.

He then proceeds to escort his wife onto the dance floor. The same wife who would later sing a jazz standard with the band...such a rich, vibrant, lively voice.

Simple praise that means so much. Thank you.

My Strengths According to Gallup

I took the Clifton Strengths-Finder this week. It's a 40-minute test that identifies your top 5 talents from a pool of 34 possible talent themes that Gallup identified through 25 years of interviews with people from all walks of life.

Here's the idea:

Weakness fixing prevents failure.
Strengths building leads to excellence.

Most of us, especially me, focus on identifying and addressing our weaknesses. Maybe it's because society tells us we should be humble. But, imagine the possibilities if we really developed our strengths. How we could really contribute something unique to the world.

So, at long last, here's what my top 5 strength themes are:

1. Futurist: I'm driven by and dream of the future, and have visions of what could be.
2. Strategic: I see patterns in complexity that allow me to solve problems effectively.
3. Positivity: I see the glass half full.
4. Relator: I derive great satisfaction from developing and deepening relationships.
5. Achiever: I'm not satisfied unless I get something done every day.

It's uncanny how accurate this is! I can't wait to apply this to my life!

Mmmmmmmm...

From this afternoon:

I'm sitting here eating one of those decadent semi-sweet chocolate chunk cookies from Specialties: hot, chewy, straight from the oven, chocolate chips still melted.

Life is good....