2008 – Year of Transition

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for quite a while, figured I should take a shot at getting it done before 2008 finishes up. So far 2008 has been a year full of transition, for me and many of the people I know. And it seems to be a common theme that I’ve noticed when talking to people, even the economy and the US government is going through changes and transitioning to something else than what it was before. Has all of this change, this transition, been easy? No, not really, but then growth into a new stage of life usually isn’t.

For me, my big transition was moving from a job with a company I had been involved with off and on for the last 15 years to being a partner in a small business. And of course those people are also experiencing a transition in their life, especially since my partners primary experience is with working for a business and not running a business of their own. The experience has been a roller coaster with some very exhilarating moments mixed with some scary ones. And the smallish pot of gold is now showing up for us, we have gotten a couple of good size contracts under our belt, we have a pretty solid cash flow for the next 18 months and there is strong interest in the services we can provide. So overall a good transition, with some pain on the way to a happy ending.

In my family, my Mom and sister have moved down to Florida and they are enjoying warmer weather. A friend of mine is transitioning to a very different way of life and is feeling much more comfortable with herself. Other friends are changing jobs, changing their lifestyle and finding another path to take in their life’s journey.

Unfortunately, not all transitions are so painless. One person I know has a son who is slowly dying from a genetic disorder that was just diagnosed this year. I’ve just recently gotten involved with a gaming group that was going to be meeting regularly for a D&D session for the next few months. Sadly, the dungeon master for the game passed away in his sleep two days after the first game. The group, including myself, was hit very hard by this, as this fellow was a very interesting, intelligent fellow with many interests and a lot of life experience. I am very disappointed that I won’t have the chance to get to know him better. And the friend who introduced me to the group is dealing with the loss of his friend of many years. Transitions like this seem like something to be avoided and I must admit that I would have preferred to avoid some of the pain I’ve gone through since the beginning of the year.

And yet, without these transitions, these changes, I would not have the potential to grow and become a better person. I’ve had many insights into my personality this year, found some strengths I didn’t know were there and worked on reducing some weaknesses of mine. If this had been another year, just like last year I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have this self growth. So for the long run, I’m glad I’ve gone through the experiences I’ve had. But I am hoping for a slightly quiet year next year. 🙂