каждый день: 365 day Challenge

365 day challenge - day 365

Well, I've reached the end of this "challenge". And the first thing I must say...this was much harder than I expected. I found it to be similar to working out or exercising consistently. If you keep on it and get in a routine, it's not that bad...but once you break that habit, it becomes a struggle to do on a daily basis (at least until you get back into the routine).

In the end, I was successful a little over 90% of the time in this challenge. Taking a "selfie" on 331 of the 365 days in 2013. I do find it interesting that I decided to take on this challenge during (what became) the worst year of my life to date - at least from a mental, psychological and financial aspect.

Now, I will say there were some great parts of 2013.

- spending a year with family and friends after being (mostly) away from them for 17+ years.

- getting a new addition to the family in my nephew, Jennings.

- presenting to two angel investor boards...and even though they weren't successful (yet), the experience of preparing for and presenting a business idea/plan to an Angel or VC board has been a goal of mine for awhile.

But for the most part, this year was a tremendous struggle mentally, psychologically and financially. That's not to say I didn't learn a lot in this struggle. Things like:

- I am not what happened to me. I am what I chose to become.

- New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings...

- No matter how you feel. Get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.

- Nobody is perfect...I'm nobody.

- If you live through defeat, you're not defeated. If you are beaten but acquire wisdom, you have won.

- What defines us is how well we rise after falling.

"Don't ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance and my kindness for weakness."

and maybe most important. "I am who I am...and it is what it is"

Following is my photo for the day, day 365...and some of my favorite photos of 2013: