When I was about ten or eleven years old, I was doing a "family tree" project for school. Since I am a first-generation immigrant without the benefit of being surrounded by extended family, my choices for interviews were pretty limited (seeing as my older brother didn't really qualify as an expert on "family traditions and history"). I had written a set of questions to ask my dad, and a few nights before the assignment was due, we were sitting at the kitchen table talking through them.
We were almost done. He had told me stories about his childhood, his parents, about wrecking a car in the garage when he was no more than twelve or thirteen. About coming from a relatively poor family with nine siblings and parents that had retired by the time he started school. About putting himself through college as best he could, and moving to the United States to follow a dream.
The question I asked him was, "What is your greatest accomplishment?"
My father is a successful man. He has built a life for himself and his family - a life that straddles cultures and continents. He has earned a PhD, been tenured at a top-10 school of management in the world, lectured on three continents, started companies. But in that instant, he didn't hesitate. He looked at me without blinking, smiled, and said, "My greatest accomplishment is yet to come."
More than ten years later, I am still in awe of the kind of legacy that my father has left for me. The kind of unflinching resolve to do something better, to be more, than I was this year, this day, this moment. That's the kind of life I hope to design for myself.
But just as 2010 was better than 2009, and 2009 better than 2008, 2011 lies ahead of me, and I'm excited. I don't do resolutions, but this I know - my family took some big risks to get where we are. And this year, I resolve to take some big risks myself - personally, professionally, culturally - to make this the best year of my life.
So ask yourself, what goals have you set? What pieces of your past are you calling on to make your future brighter? What risks do you want to take to make this the best year ever?
We were almost done. He had told me stories about his childhood, his parents, about wrecking a car in the garage when he was no more than twelve or thirteen. About coming from a relatively poor family with nine siblings and parents that had retired by the time he started school. About putting himself through college as best he could, and moving to the United States to follow a dream.
The question I asked him was, "What is your greatest accomplishment?"
My father is a successful man. He has built a life for himself and his family - a life that straddles cultures and continents. He has earned a PhD, been tenured at a top-10 school of management in the world, lectured on three continents, started companies. But in that instant, he didn't hesitate. He looked at me without blinking, smiled, and said, "My greatest accomplishment is yet to come."
More than ten years later, I am still in awe of the kind of legacy that my father has left for me. The kind of unflinching resolve to do something better, to be more, than I was this year, this day, this moment. That's the kind of life I hope to design for myself.
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| Grand Canyon, Arizona - I was there. (feel free to use with credit) |
In 2010, I learned to ski. Ran my first 5k (and then my first 10k!). Got a puppy and started a blog. I hiked through the hills of Palm Springs and rafted down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. Asked tough questions of myself, my friends, my family, and my coworkers. Launched two products. Spearheaded a partnership between Bard and MedShare to donate more than 500 volunteer hours to send medical supplies to the developing world. Flew almost 40,000 miles, deepened friendships, spent more time with my family, and had my first ever white Christmas. It was, to date, the best year of my life.
But just as 2010 was better than 2009, and 2009 better than 2008, 2011 lies ahead of me, and I'm excited. I don't do resolutions, but this I know - my family took some big risks to get where we are. And this year, I resolve to take some big risks myself - personally, professionally, culturally - to make this the best year of my life.
So ask yourself, what goals have you set? What pieces of your past are you calling on to make your future brighter? What risks do you want to take to make this the best year ever?
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