30 and counting...

Growing up, I heard the adage, "With age comes wisdom", more often than I could count. Any argument or difference of opinion with my parents would eventually end with this statement, which would preclude any future debate on my part. I would be lying if I'd not admit that I was looking forward to getting older, so I could have the upper hand over someone else. I am older now...

What my parents didn't tell me was with the wisdom, age brought with it some hidden gifts - aching joints, funky food cravings, insomnia, stress (work, personal, 3rd party) - gifts that keep giving even when I am really not in the mood for taking! I should look on the bright side though; according to a colleague of mine, I have it good - his in-laws live with him :))

I lost my squash match last night, and it wasn't one of those matches that I had a good feeling about as I stretched to relieve my sore joints. Dumb mistakes and daft strategy (if you could call it that) were my undoing, but on the flip side, I tried my best to enjoy my time on the court. I don't know what to attribute this to but I have vowed to enjoy everything I do. You know what, I'm going to call extracting pleasure out of my activities the New Year resolution for 2008.

It took a lot of effort, but I have affected a change in my work schedule - I don't get in much after 10:30, and don't stay around after 6:30. When I am at my desk though, I am fixated on my tasks, I am prompt with email, on time for meetings, all in an effort to shutdown my work brain once I am out of Zune HQ. Not having a laptop that connects to Microsoft is a true blessing, and I'm going to try my hardest to not change that situation.

Another sure consequence of growing up - most of your friends enter a second phase of their life. People get married, they move away, they have less time to interact with you because all their time is spent in nourishing a new relationship, one that will hopefully see them through their life. It's interesting isn't it - when you start working, your friends act as a buffer for the stress that work induces; once you settle into work, you use work as a buffer to offshoot the flux in your personal life. More evidence to the fact that the tide is forever turning.