In so many words, my wife told me that she was glad that I was faced with a new professional challenge. I say ‘in so many words’ because what actually came out of her mouth was “at least you’re not bored”. So far in life it has become apparent that I am not best served by following paths that quickly exhaust my burning desire for new challenges.

That’s what it’s all about isn’t it? The challenges we face in life. Isn’t it common to hear from an excited, ambitious and thankful person who has found the “perfect new job”? The right fit for them because where they were just wasn’t providing the right opportunities. It’s the thrill of the new obstacle and the challenge(s) it presents that often creates new found focus and re-dedication of purpose. The sad conclusion to that story however, is all too often the disgruntled and downtrodden who once was that cheery eyed job seeker.

With all of that said, I have started a new job as most of you know. To segue for just a second – that is exactly why I am so proud of myself for finally sitting back down to allow for what has been my only creative outlet for the last year or so. I almost feel like writing down my thoughts indicates that I am regaining some normalcy in my life, allowing me to reflect and share all that is exciting and mundane (hey the bad comes with the good people).

So back to the changes that have transpired in my life. Let’s start with the 4:50AM wake up call. That’s right! For those of you that know me professionally, you would have lost a mortgage payment on a bet that I would take on a position that required I report for duty prior to 6:30AM (to not exclude those of you who do not know me professionally – while it is true that I am used to a fast paced work environment with a full schedule, sometimes the real reason I was so busy was because I did not do the things that would have allowed for a more manageable day…like getting up earlier or going to bed before 2AM). Well that’s just the way things work out.

What I mean is that I feel like I have a new found appreciation for the flexibility I once had and at the same time, what it really requires to maximum your full potential. I’m not saying you have to get up at 5AM to maximize full potential. What I am saying is that sometimes we don’t properly evaluate what can make us more effective as both professionals and human beings (I know I’m being vague but I don’t really have the energy to get into that discussion).

Now let’s get back to that guy who was so excited about the new job only to feel disappointed in the end.

Honestly, I don’t know if that will be me or not. I am hopeful. I am confident that I have put myself in a better situation. Like the other decisions I have made in my life as of late (leaving a respectable and high income potential job to follow my heart by moving to Puerto Rico only to move to Denver and oh yeah… getting married after a 6 month engagement), I have an innate sense of following the correct footprints along what is still an indescribable journey. Better yet, I think I am creating the right path for myself and my family.

These words I share are supported by reason and logic but more importantly, they are supported by the gut feeling I have that I am doing the right thing. If life is a journey through a densely wooded forest, than I believe I picked up a bread crumb. Whether I find more or not is yet to be seen. However, I can say most sincerely that if I come to you in a year, complaining about my station in life – I would implore you to ask me two simple questions:

Are you challenging yourself? and Mike, are you doing all that you can to maximize your full potential?

By the way, I learned a new joke: Two peanuts were walking down the street…one was asalted.