It seems these days that there's a lot of chaos going on. Whether it's with our current political situation, our climate changing, mass shootings becoming the norm, or any other affliction impacting our world today, there are a lot of areas we can feel helpless about. Human history has always been this strange struggle with existence, always morphing, with challenges that arise to meet the latest growth that we've accomplished. Amidst all this, there's something interesting that I've noticed. No matter how bad things get, the world keeps turning and life goes on. But we can't acknowledge that fact without giving some weight to it. It's time we looked deeper into figuring out what matters and how to keep going in a world that's seemingly always coming to an end.
One of the most important things you can have in life, no matter what situation you're in, is perspective. It's often the smaller picture that we can become stuck on and it can be the most depressing. In today's world, this is incredibly simple to do and seems to be the norm among those who surround us. Whether it's on the sidewalks, on the roads, at our jobs, you name it. The small picture is easily obtainable and is what we crave. We're always seeking more via our unending social media scrolling and news headline consumption. It's easily digestible and allows us to feel like we're keeping on top of things. The trouble with this comes when we have only this smaller perspective without any context to anchor us. The concept of FOMO (fear of missing out) has risen in recent years, so much so that we've now had to create JOMO (joy of missing out) to combat it. You may see someone out having a great time and feel jealously, anxiety and perhaps even anger, but...is that the whole story? You can look at all that's going wrong in your life and the areas that you personally have failed but...is that your whole story? When we take a step back, look up from our devices, and engage with our thoughts and with others, we may find that the bigger picture is different from the sum of those negative smaller parts.
Yes, the bigger picture is where we must look even though it's not where we live. When we look at the bigger picture from a historical perspective, many positive things come into view. For example, did you know that less than 10% of the world's population lives in extreme poverty today? While that's still hundreds of millions of people, did you know that it used to be 30% higher just 30 years ago? Global child mortality for those under the age of 5 was down to 4.5% in 2014, compared to approximately 34% one hundred years prior. There are many areas where if we look at the bigger picture, we see that we're continuously progressing, even when some try to maintain, or even revive, an old status quo. We must take the bigger picture and break it down into smaller pieces, but the bigger picture is where we must start.
The biggest challenge for me in this is that, as always, what looks good on paper doesn't always work out in reality. What I mean by this is that we gain our perspective, live our lives, and create the future by interacting with other people. As much as some may wish to be, we are not alone in this world. Unfortunately, most of us have probably realized that we can't rely on other people. Our core sinful natures always come out and whether it's through a change of heart, a selfish act, or a damaging statement, others will let us down if we rely solely on them. But that's why we ultimately must stand on something more solid than others, and that something is the truth. Now, in saying this, I'm not opening the rabbit hole to the philosophical 'there is no truth', as that's a discussion for another day. I know what truth is because Christ said it in John 14:6 when he said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." For us, this means that we must stand on Christ as the unchanging, all encompassing, beyond our comprehension truth. When the world questions what reality is and what facts are, we must fall back on the truth. It goes beyond anything we encounter in the madness of life and it is our intellectual refuge.
So, as life goes on and the various hits keep coming, having that perspecive that I wrote about is key. We tend to look to the past with rose-colored glasses and look to the future with a sense of uncertainty. But in the immortal words of Billy Joel, "the good ole days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems". New challenges will arise, but new joys along with them. The truth may be challenged and we may become lost in the current trends, but the bigger picture shows us that none of that is forever. In the end, it's important for us to stand strong, push forward, and keep the faith.
2017's Tune of the Year, taken from the incredible concept album from Ferry Corsten, this is Venera, Vee's Theme:
Well, seems it's that time again. Time to put away the Christmas decorations, start those resolutions, and soak in a couple solid months of winter. Yes, the new year is here and with it comes joy, hope, and a fresh outlook towards the future and whatever it may hold. But first, as always, I'm going to take the time to reflect back on the year that was 2017. While there weren't as many big changes this year as there were in 2016, there were still a lot of unknowns. What direction was our country headed in and how should I respond? What direction should my career head in and what did I need to do to move it that way? Who could I trust and who would I have to realize would never change? Where should I travel, what new things should I try, and how else should I branch out? So many questions and so much happening that I was driven numb by the end of it all. But, it was because of this that 2017 was my year of uncertainty.
As the calm winter rolled by and spring came, I marked the first anniversary of my time working for US SIF in May. Through a variety of changes, I became one of the more seasoned veterans of the organization. The busiest time, as always, was in the weeks leading up to our annual conference. This year had more logistical challenges than my first time, as we hosted the event in Chicago. My greatest role for this event was the creation, deployment, and on-site support of our mobile app. This was a responsibility I gladly took on as the only millennial in the organization and I'll be taking on that challenge again this year. Getting to spend a few days in Chicago with a great group, putting on a successful conference and exploring the city where the pizza is incredible, was wonderful. I continued my role at US SIF through the year and I look forward to seeing what happens in 2018.
My adventures in trance continued this year, as I got to attend several solid shows down in DC. The best show was in May, when the one of the founders of the trance scene, Ferry Corsten, came to DC as a part of his Blueprint album tour. Getting to meet and chat with him a bit after the show was surreal, knowing that he's been at it since I was a little kid. But, that was the only artist I got to hang out with, as Aly & Fila came to town in October and I got to say hello them them as well. It wasn't all about going to concerts however, as I continued producing my own show, For the Soul, each month. I'm excited to have a massive landmark episode 50 coming out shortly after my birthday in March. I also started to dedicate time to using all of the DJ equipment that I now have to practicing live sets. My goal is to hopefully take my DJing beyond my bedroom in 2018, but I'll have more on that in the months ahead.
Meeting Ferry Corsten, a true trance legend, for the first time
My third time going to one of their shows, hanging out with Fadi from Aly & Fila.
My biggest adventure of the year, as it has been for the last few years, was my vacation with Tyler. This time we went farther than I had ever gone before, venturing across the pond to London and Ireland. We spent the first half of the week in London, getting to enjoy the wonderful subway network that I can only dream of having in DC, visiting every castle and major landmark around the city, and saying hello to the Queen's Guard and Beefeaters along the way. Late on Tuesday, we made the hop over to Ireland, where we spent the first day seeing one Cathedral after another in Dublin while seeing yet another castle. Dublin has lots of history to see, as London does, but it was much more depressing. They even having an entire museum about all of those who have fled the country throughout Ireland's history. But then came the day I had been waiting for since I was a kid. On Thursday, we went north to Belfast, where I finally got to see where the Titanic was built over 100 years ago. The drawing rooms where she was painstakingly designed by hand, the slipway where the hull was built, and the dry dock where she was fitted out and made ready for launch is all still there and I explored it every part of it. It was humbling to stand on the same spot where thousands of workers hand built the largest moving object ever built by man, at the time. We ventured through the four story museum located at the tip of the slipway that taught me even more than I already knew about the grand ship. That day was truly a high point of my life thus far, fulfilling a childhood dream and reaching the pinnacle of my Titanic fandom. We came back to Dublin the following day and saw a few more sights before taking the long flight back home.
Seeing Big Ben for the first time
Hangin' out with one of the Queen's Guard
Out in front of the Titanic museum. The sign here is the same size as one of the hull plates on the Titanic.
The slipways where the Titanic and her sister, Olympic, were built side by side over 100 years ago.. Titanic was on the left, Olympic on the right.
Down in the dry dock where the Titanic was fitted out. The dry dock here is only 5 feet longer than the Titanic was, 887.5 ft to Titanic's 882.5 ft length.
Titanic's slipway at night time, all lit up to show the massive size of the ship that once sat in this very spot.
Titanic's drawing rooms, where every detail was carefully and thoughtfully designed by hand.
I enjoyed a variety of other adventures throughout the year as well. I went to my first Wizards game since the days of Gilbert Arenas, and although the game wasn't all that great, at least there was a truck blimp. I gathered a group friends and went to a Nationals game, which turned out much better in terms of the score. I even went with another friend to see one of the last performances of Barnum & Bailey's circus. In August, I took a long road trip down to South Carolina to meet up with Tyler and his family to watch the solar eclipse. I have to say, watching daytime become night as if someone was turning down the lights in a theater, and feeling the temperature drop rapidly, was one of the greatest displays of the universe at work that I've ever experienced. Then, right at the start of October, I took a 3 day journey with my big brudder Matt down to Nashville to see what the music city was all about. Although it turned out that there wasn't too much to see, we had a good few days spending some one on one time together, something we hadn't done since our trip to NYC long ago. Finally, in December, I fulfilled another childhood wish by going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert. It was quite the three hour show, complete with pyrotechnics and a wonderful live version of their most famous song.
Ready for the eclipse!
An incredible sight to see!
Brudder was droppin' the beats
The Parthenon in Nashville
Despite all of this, this year wasn't all fun times and keeping sane with the madness of the world going on around me. Back in March, shortly before my birthday, I gave my dad a call after church to check in on a few things in St. Mary's. When he answered, he gave me news that caught me by surprise. He said he just came back from the vet where he had just taken our apparently very sick dog, Sandi. Having never had any issues and always being happy throughout her lifetime, I didn't know what to think or do. In the weeks that followed, I made it home twice and saw her there, as always. She definitely wasn't in great shape my first visit, but she was on the mend by my second trip in the middle of April. However, the next weekend, she took a turn for the worse and passed overnight in her sleep on April 25th. This hit me hard, as Sandi was an especially close family member to me. From the time we brought her home shortly after my sophomore year of high school, she and I formed a special bond. I was the main one there taking care of her and playing with her, as Kaitlin was already off to college and my dad was working all the time. There were many days when I relied on her for comfort and friendship, spending lazy summer afternoons napping with my head on her belly before chasing her around the fields. I was the only one ever able to keep up with her as we silently, yet knowingly, challenged each other to see which of us would tire out first. From high school graduation, through college, and through my first few jobs out of school, she was always around for me to come home and tell my stories to. She would always sit loyally by me, staring out into the world and flopping her black-spotted tongue as I talked. But, as it does for us all, her time came and I had to say goodbye to my forever puppy-dog, a piece of my heart, and a major connection piece between me and my St. Mary's home.
My favorite picture of Sandi and me
With a flurry of good and bad over the course of the year, 2017 really was the year of uncertainty for me. Various changes shook loose some of the attachments I had to my home land, both in regards to the farm as well as this country. Reading books and seeing others accomplishments made me continuously question my career path and what my next steps should be. Time went on and yet there's still uncertainty, but perhaps progress, as to where I may be living next. Elements of my faith and of what I believe to be core values of Christianity were shown to be not universal among other believers. I've learned that I don't need to worry as much about relating with and trying to understand and work with others, and that I need to accept that some may never change. But, being an optimist as I wrote about in an earlier blog post, I'm looking forward to the changes that will come in 2018. I'll be celebrating the 50th episode of my show with some big surprises planned, travelling somewhere new yet again, further advancing into the second half of my 20s, and hopefully getting a better grasp on what to do with my life. Remember though, as with everything, any changes you want to make happen and any hopes you have for the new year, always start with just a thought.
In today's world, distractions are everywhere. Screens are always on, we're always on the move, and our attention is constantly pulled in every direction. With everything going on, it's important for us to be able to communicate effectively. Doing so can make or break us when it comes to our careers, our marriages, our friendships and our families. It is this skill that allows us to break through the noise and get our message across. But, the crucial part of effective communication is not actually speaking, even if it means speaking well. The key is listening.
When one thinks about the concept of listening, it seems like a simple one. Of course I listen, you might say, I listening to people all the time. But are you honestly listening? Here's a quick check for you. If the majority of your listening includes looking at a screen, or thinking of what you'll say or do next, you're not actually listening. And the truth is, most of the time, others can tell. Although you may not be speaking, you're sending a clear message: you don't want to hear what's being shared. For the person talking to you, it's distracting to try and overcome this and it may turn them off from talking to you entirely. It may take effort to put the phone down and turn off the TV, but it makes all the difference.
The good news is, as with any other skill, good listening can be learned and applied. To do this, we need to start with understanding what's causing our communication issues with others, in both directions. Often we can fail to listen because of our impatience and our desire to get the next word in or to jump to a conclusion. This has become more prevalent with the speed of our world today, along with us having much need to wait for anything. We may be listening to what someone is saying and assume we know what they're going to say. Or, we may hear what's said and turn it around so that the focus shifts to us rather than the other person. True listening means focusing solely on what the other person is saying. It’s about understanding, not rebuttal or input. It's crucial to avoid taking control of a conversation and telling someone what to do or labeling them with a quick fix remedy. Once we recognize the flaws we have in how we listen to others and respond, we can work towards improvement.
There are of course verbal aspects to listening as well, beyond receiving the words that someone else is saying to you. The purpose of verbal communication on the listener's end is to show through your words that you've understood what's been said. This involves identifying the feeling and thought content of what's being shared and reflecting that back to the speaker. It's through this that we show that we're engaged in actively listening and that we care. This kind of listening opens the other person up to sharing more and allows the communication to flow naturally. If our verbal responses only include the occasional 'mmhmm' and asking the speaker to repeat themselves, we'll soon find that the other person doesn't have much more to say.
Listening is key in all aspects of our lives. It is through listening that we learn from others, we understand those beyond our self, and we change our world for the better. Many conflicts can be avoided, and better results created, through the act of effective listening. With the holidays fast approaching and interactions coming with family and friends from all walks of life, we'd be better off if we listened before speaking. It takes effort to do this in our daily lives. But, it's through this effort that we can show a genuine interest in others by actively listening to what they have to say. We may discover something new, feel more satisfied, and have a better life because of it.
Apple, McDonalds, Amazon, Pepsi, Ikea, Adidas. What do all these and many more like them have in common? They're globally recognized brands.
What is a brand? Is it a logo, a product, a name, or maybe even a message?
A brand is a story. Humanity loves stories. They're our most powerful way of sharing our imagination with others. Try giving someone a series of facts and figures and see what they remember without cramming the material. But, you tell someone a powerful story, and see what they remember then. You can change their attitude, their focus, even their purpose for doing whatever it is they're doing.
People connect with brands because of the story behind them; the one the brand itself is telling and the one individuals attach to the brand. Companies live and die by their brand. A company can have the best product, one that solves all kinds of problems, or the best service, one that people are seeking desperately. But, if the company has a bad reputation, or lacks effort made towards it's brand, then no one truly connects with it. Whatever is being sold seems more like those facts and figures instead of a story. The same thing applies to people. You can be incredibly intelligent or have great ideas that could make a real difference. But if no one knows your brand, then you'll be hard pressed in getting someone to notice you.
There are certain elements of creation that go into having a successful brand. At the core, you have to know why you're building the brand, as this will guide everything else. Apple is a great example of a brand that had a leader who was fiercely dedicated to the why, which has been to create products that people don't realize they want yet while making things simpler at the same time. Why do we swipe across our screens instead of tapping it with a stylus or clicking on a physical keyboard? Because the weight of the Apple brand made it so.
Another element is a part of that story that I talked about at the beginning. A brand needs to know who it's telling the story to, which relates to that aspect of getting people to notice you. But, it's important not to try and be all things to all people, or your message can become lost. A brand story has to be relatable and interesting to your target market. This is called a brand image. Again with Apple, their brand story aims at a higher end audience. McDonalds is more aimed at those looking for quick, cheap eats. Adidas tells it's story to those who see the pros playing their respective sports and want to emulate them. Sometimes a brand can try to change it's image, but this often faces resistance. A recent example of this is JC Penney, which attempted to change to an every day low pricing model, away from the big weekend discount sales that their shoppers came to expect. This failed, the CEO with that idea is no longer with the company, and they have gone back to their regular door-buster deals style. This was because, as hard as they tried to tell their customers that they were changing their style, they continued to get questions about when their next big sale would be. Trying to make a radical change like this often just leaves your audience lost, confused, and no longer interested in what you're selling. But, you probably already know this concept of an image that many brands are going for. That's because they've done well in this area and you didn't even know it.
If you think that branding only apply to companies, you're ignoring a large part of our daily lives. Similar to companies, we have our own personal brand, whether we create it with intentional design or not. Your brand is your reputation; it's how others see you and how they guide their interactions with you. Despite me hearing recently that personal branding is such a 'millennial thing', it's not a new concept. Your actions and your interactions with others tell your story, but this more often than not takes Our personal brands largely guide our lives. They can determine who we interact with, where we're able to go, and what it is we're able to accomplish in our lifetime.
So, what is the key to building a lasting brand? Trust. If no one believes your story or if they don't want to hear it for whatever reason, then your brand is worthless. Despite all of our modern conveniences, where we can customize our preferences and quickly move from one thing to the next, gaining trust still forces us to yield and demands the time required. You can try to fast-track the process or say a lot of good things to build your perceived image up, but a weak trust foundation will crumble at the first sign of hardship. Trust that is solid and built to last requires cultivation and the flexibility to grow. Once it has grown, if you do anything to break that trust, it takes much longer to re-build that trust, if you can at all. When you think of Chipotle these days, whats one of the first things that comes to mind? E. Coli perhaps? It's been over a year since the initial outbreak and yet when a well-known restaurant has a health crisis, the trust may never fully come back.
The act of branding may seem like something for a marketing department to do or something that a politician running for office does, but the reality is that we all do it every day, both through our work and in our personal lives. We don't often think of it in this manner, which is good because we would probably drive ourselves mad trying to plan our every action and interaction. But, it never hurts to take a step back and consider your own brand that you're portraying to others. While you're at it, consider the brands of the companies that you spend your money with. Do their brands match the values and messages that you wish to see flourish? If not, have you considered changing your spending habits? Your investments?
Branding has always fascinated me because it shows the power and influence that any one person can have over so many aspects of our lives, and it's a large part of why I studied marketing as one of my undergrad majors. It's definitely a softer science, so to speak, but it has a very real impact on each of us, whether we accept it or not. Just remember though that no matter how big and powerful any brand may seem, they all started with just a thought.
Optimistic: [op-tuh-mis-tik] adj: disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome
When you graduate from college and start out on your own, maturity starts to come at a much greater pace. You learn that it's on you to get up, do the things you need or want to, and to reflect on the day to determine if you're satisfied with yourself. Through doing this you learn more about not only what you're good at or the things you like, but more of who you are and who you're going to be in life. The process is intriguing, yet frustrating at times. It can be slow and hard to be sure if what you're learning is real or just noise brought on by the outside world. While the process is never complete, it's important to recognize when you've learned a key trait about yourself. For me recently, I've discovered that at my core, I am an optimist.
Ok, great, so I'm an optimist. So what? What does that mean? What does that look like? How did I discover this? Why does anyone care? Well, for me it means many things, all leading to my self-discovery of this trait. First, it's an attitude and a way of life. It impacts how I interact with the world and with others. It's also what drives my unending desire to work towards what I believe to be right. Whatever is happening, my mind always works its way back towards the expectation of positive outcome.
Second, it means that while I have this trait, I've learned that this is not true for everyone. This leads to the eventual downside of being optimistic which is burnout and disillusionment. This means that although the optimism may still exist, there's no energy or will power left to act on it. This creates a tension as you fight against yourself. A challenge of optimism is that you look to others to help in your cause or to work as a team towards the favorable outcome. Without cooperation from others, if they're more neutral or lean towards a pessimistic outlook, it can feel like you're on a treadmill. While you're looking forward and running towards that optimistic goal, you're not actually getting anywhere.
This type of challenge often leads to one of two outcomes: collapse and the end of the road or refinement and doubling down. Being an optimist, you can guess which outcome I tend to lean towards. Challenges build determination, and this determined and experienced optimism comes back stronger and better prepared to face the world. You learn pitfalls to avoid, opposition to push back against, and gain a more clear focus of your goals. It can take going further back and dragging others along with the strength of your optimism to show them the way and get them on board. The key is being able to bounce back, knowing that while optimism may point you towards the favorable outcome, reaching the goal may take longer than planned.
Speaking of timing, optimistic people tend to be habitually late. For anything and everything. Is it to send a purposeful message that our time is more important? Or is it because our memory is so bad that we don't remember when we're supposed to be somewhere or doing something? The majority of the time the answer is no, and while a push in the right direction can be helpful, optimists know we're late. Trust me. The internal battle that's waged when it happens goes far beyond anything that can be said about it. So then, does this mean that we can show up whenever? Also no. But being punctual is a relative concept and isn't the same for all mankind. And, there's a term for a character trait such as this, and that is tidsoptimist. What this means is that my optimism even affects my perception of time and how much of it I believe that I have on a constant basis. Despite the numerous reminders and self-inflicted tricks, there are going to be times that I flat out miss the mark in regards to being on time. I share this not to lay out as a continuous excuse, but more as an explanation that, as with most mental battles, there's more going on than you might think.
In saying that I'm an optimist and that it's a part of who I am, there's an important point being made. That is, optimism is not going to make itself apparently known every day, especially to those on the outside. But, you know it's there, even for the optimist who is unable to summon that part of themselves. There are times it takes support to keep optimism alive and a kick to get it going. For me, this is most often accomplished through music. One of the things I'm obsessed with in my life is trance music, specifically uplifting trance music. Can you see why? Go back and re-read the last part of that trance sentence. It's right in the name! The uplifting nature of the music is a lifeblood that keeps me going. I even host my own monthly podcast, DJing that style of music, so that I can interact with it beyond just passively listening. Support can also come from a friend, especially one that isn't bound by the hardships of human life. Until recently, whenever I needed an optimism boost back home, all I had to do was look to my forever happy puppy-dog Sandi and she'd get me back on track with one floppy-tongued 'hello'. Although she's gone now, the memories of the decade we spent together can still get me back on track. Being a trait, optimism is always there, even though it sometimes becomes hidden and needs to be brought back into the light.
Optimism is an incredible driving force that can get you through the day, week, month, year, and even a lifetime. Optimism is a catalyst that leads to change in our world, knowing that we can do more, we can make things better, and it's us to lead who can lead the charge. Optimism allows you to bounce back, even after you're denied and rejected by others time and time again.. Optimism can be contagious, as others see the hope that's created and are drawn towards it. For me, optimism is the guiding light that dares me to make a difference. It pushes me to pursue my dreams to create large-scale change on an individual level, even when I don't yet know the path. If you're not a natural optimist yourself, I hope that you have friends that are. As with all things, optimism needs balance. I've discovered this key part of myself by facing countless challenges head on and observing what my leading attitude was. Knowing this, I look to lead with optimism in my daily life, facing the dilemma of pushing on when there are headwinds or falling back and allowing less favorable expectations to take hold. But, when my optimism is paired with my tenacity, my untiring energy, and my hatred of losing, I know what my outcome expectation will be.
Kicking things off with my newly crowned #1 track of 2016, this is Reckless, the Standerwick remix, from Gareth Emery:
Here we are, launching into the new year after the wild ride that was 2016. A lot can be said about what happened nationally within this past year, but most of it you're probably tired of hearing about. For me, this year included some changes that I had been working towards, some I wasn't expecting, and some that never seemed to come together through faults of my own as well as those of others. I love to start off these annual posts by looking back at the previous year, seeing what challenges I said I had faced the year before and checking to see what I accomplished out of the things I had hoped to do. With these things in mind, I look ahead towards the year to come while aiming to keep a good perspective on the year I'm leaving behind.
The year started out first off by living in a new place. I had to head out of Matt and Alyssa's with them having another kid arriving soon, so I found myself a room down the road in a house near the Greenbelt metro. The location was good because it still gave me quick access to the highway for my current work commute, while also being forward looking as I aimed at my next work destination. The other good part of this came a couple weeks after I left, when my new nephew Parran entered the world. Parran seems to always be smiling and just happy to be around people, as long as someone is looking at him. Seriously, check this kid out:
As the first half of the year rolled along, things were mostly the same until April came around. Shortly after my 25th birthday at the end of March, I made my way through three rounds of interviews and earned my way into a new position in the non-profit sector with an organization named US SIF. The role itself is still entry level, but the organization's mission is one that I'm really on board with, having the understanding that I do of the financial sector and the real large-scale impact it can have on creating positive change (check out of our mission here). So, two years to the day after I started working for Coastal, I announced that I was leaving, and I placed my last orders and headed out two weeks later. Now, instead of racing up and down I-95 daily to order a whole lot of produce, I walk over and hop on the Metro to do my part in making a positive impact for my generation and those to come. If you'd like to know more about how you too can put your money where your mouth is, so to speak, assuming you'd like do your part in creating meaningful change, let me know and I'll be happy to chat with you about it. Really, it mostly involves something you're already probably doing but may not realize how you can do it to help others. The shift has been substantial and I'm excited to see where it leads me in 2017.
As many of you, my readers, know, I was a part of the 5th generation of my family to have grown up on our special piece of land in St. Mary's County. One of the major goals that has been in the works for quite some time has been the transition of the land I grew up on from my father's ownership to me. After having to clear several hurdles along the way, the transfer was finally completed around the mid part of this past year and I am now a home/land owner. My father has spent the past couple of years living next door in what was his parents house, where he grew up, so I'm renting out what is now my house in order to keep itself going. The idea there is that I may be back there someday, but for now things are staying in stasis mode.
My faith continued to remain strong throughout this past year, as I joined in with weekly studies through Nav20s and my church, and I spent a lot of time with my fellow church-goers as my main community. I made strides towards following Christ through many different aspects of my life, and I continue to learn more about how to proceed correctly all the time. The same question I had last year, wondering why we're still here, still remains on my mind, but I live knowing I may not get a real solid answer on this side of eternity. My faith played a role, as I believe it should, in trying to sort through the madness that was this past election cycle, and now I'll have to remain focused on it as we as a nation try to move forward and heal our divides. I do hope to work towards continuing my faith-related 'what and why' mission that has been dormant for a while, but that's going to take some dedication from me as well as the involvement of others.
My love for trance music grew even stronger this past year (if that's possible), as I went to several concerts, continued along with my monthly show, and started listening to so many professional DJ podcasts that I have a hard time keeping up with them all. In regards to my own show, I celebrated the 30th episode a few months back and just released the episode that I love putting together the most, the top tracks of the year show. As you can hopefully tell from the song I have posted at the top of this post, 2016 was an incredible year for trance, but I encourage you to take a listen to my top-12 countdown and hear it for yourself. I didn't gain as much ground as I had hoped to this past year in terms of working on doing live DJing, but I'm going to continue to work towards it in 2017. I did have the incredible experience of having one of my favorite artist duos somehow spot me in the crowd at one of their shows and wave at me while shouting out my name. I stuck around after the show to chat with them about all things trance and grab a picture with them, as shown below. Overall, trance music has grown even more into the lifeblood that keeps me going and the fuel that gives me my un-ending energy.
It seems that it has become a new tradition for Tyler and I to take an annual adventure together somewhere, and this year we headed north for my first trip out of the US. We headed up to Toronto for the first half of the week, celebrating Tyler's b-day at the science center, standing way above the ground at the incredible CN tower, exploring the halls of Casa Loma, and seeing various other places in the downtown area. The second half of the week was my favorite part of the trip, as we ventured to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and got to stand in sheer awe of the 700,000 gallons of water/second that is constantly being dumped over the falls. We saw them from above, below, and along side, as we took part in almost every tourist attraction that we could. The downtown area in Niagara was a lot of fun as well, as we got to ride a giant Ferris wheel, play some dino mini golf, and have a blast figuring out how to actually win the arcade. We made our way back after a week of fun, even getting to fly on the same plane together back to Baltimore, and it certainly was an adventure I'll never forget.
The final months of 2016 didn't have too much in the way of anything notable for me, others than riding on the same roller coaster ride that everyone seemed to be on as election day came and went. My thoughts in that regard are twofold. One is that despite the results, I'm looking further ahead and seeing where my generation (including myself) is going to lead us, and that future looks bright. Second is that my thought, that my generation is going to differ from our parents generation by creating positive change despite the government rather than through it, seems to be becoming more of a reality all the time. I guess we'll have to see how it all plays out in 2017, while remembering that our society wasn't built for us to be passive observers but one where we the people got involved and made ourselves known. My role as someone looking to lead and to bring people together by bridging the gaps and aiming towards the future seemed to guide my actions right up through year's end.
I called 2016 the year of challenge because I seemed to face a lot of it, some of it being self-imposed and the rest of it being brought upon me by others. I challenged myself in this past year to be a better listener, to try new things and go to new places, and to try and figure out what I want to do with my life. I faced the challenge of moving to a new place, of leaving one job and starting another, and of taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord. However, just because 2016 and its challenges are over, doesn't mean 2017 won't bring its own fresh set. But, as I've learned even more about myself this past year in regards to how I take on goals and the competitive like nature of facing a challenge, I'll be ready to face them head on by starting with just a thought.
There are times in life when you question why. Times you can see a reality that you can't quite reach, where you keep holding on and giving it your all, even when you don't know what will happen. It's during these times of challenge that we grow, having to overcome our own mental battles with the will to carry on. These instances are nothing new to any of us, and they're something we all experience. But, when they come, it's easy to feel alone, as if you're the only one with a problem. One of the most common, yet one of the most daunting times when this happens is when you're in the midst of a job search. Through all of the applications, phone calls, networking, interviews, and everything else involved, there's one key character quality that can keep you going until you've reached your goal: perseverance.
The first step in persevering towards anything is having a goal worth persevering for. Of course, perseverance applies to many different situations, not just the job search that I mentioned above. Coming up with a worthwhile goal in itself is not a simple task and it seems these kinds of goals often arise unexpectedly. Something goes wrong or something is not the way you want it to be and you realize that it's going to take great effort to create the change you seek. But, these kinds of scenarios can also be exciting because they give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and to give your best effort, even when the gratification is not the instantaneous kind that we frequently demand nowadays. It's important to remember that the goal you have may not always be a popular one or even one that anyone else thinks you can achieve. What matters is that you believe in it and that you are willing to do the hard work required to get it done.
One of the elements of persevering towards any goal is learning how to deal with the inevitable setbacks. There will always be factors beyond your control and things you would have done differently if you had known at the time. The good thing about setbacks is that they often humble you and make you re-evaluate where you're at. This reflection can allow you to refine your efforts, discover something new about where you're going, and strengthen your resolve. Setbacks also often force you to rely on others for support and remind you that while your goal may be your own, we need others in order to succeed in this world. It's not just people we look to though, as it seems the times we are quickest to run to God is when something goes wrong and we don't think anyone else can help us. Ultimately, without setbacks, perseverance wouldn't exist.
Focusing more on that whole God thing, before this latest job search, there had been one main life event life that I often referenced as the cornerstone upon which my faith was solidified. Well, after this experience I seem to have another. You can call it whatever you like regarding why things happened the way they did, but this is what I'm going with. I had the feeling of that I should head towards the non-profit sector for quite a while. However, when I was just about to start an Americorps program with a non-profit last fall, the organization I was matched with backed out, leaving me no option to be a part of the program. That set off a long job search process, which first involved me figuring out exactly what it was I wanted to do. Through various interviews, reviewing the results from the career counseling I took during my undergrad, talks with friends and mentors, and some prayer, I realized what my next step was. I tried various different methods but I finally landed on an opportunity through an online job board that I was truly excited about. This was just the beginning though, as the interview process wasn't easy.
First, I had to persevere in following up on the opportunity. If you ever get advice about following up on applications you submit to make sure you've reached the actual hiring manager, take that advice. That's what sparked the first actual phone conversation with my now manager. I went through three rounds over the course of a month and a half, where I answered a variety of questions from several different people. I had to patiently wait each time, never knowing when or if I was going to hear back. During all of this, my prayers grew stronger, as did my passion for the opportunity and my feeling that this was finally the one. I continued to say that no matter what happened, I was giving the end result to God because I knew I had given it my all. As I've discovered through other life events, God has a sense of humor. I kept hearing from others that I needed to give it 2 full years in my then current job before making the decision to move on. Well, I was given the new job offer and announced I was leaving on the day of my 2 year anniversary. The looks from my co-workers quickly changed from anniversary celebration to shock. But for me, all I could do was laugh. I knew that God had a purpose for things turning out the way they did, as He always does. He was testing my faith, as He said would happen in 1 Peter 1:7 where it states "7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
After all that, I ended up in a much better position than what I would have been in with the Americorps program. The mission I'm a part of now is a solid one that I feel truly connected to.To share what I'm now a part of, my new employer is US SIF and our mission is to "Rapidly shift investment practices towards sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts." I'm using my business background, my own investing interests, and my desire to create long term positive change through my work to make a real measurable impact on our society and the world. And God knew it would happen all along.
Overall, I believe that perserverance is one of the most important character traits we can have. It is through perseverance that we accomplish our goals, realize our dreams, and change the world. I've recently been reading the biography of Steve Jobs and I've seen how strongly he persevered in everything he did, despite having one person after another tell him that he was wrong or that something couldn't be done. It's his perseverance in doing what needed to be done and having that vision for the way things could be that impacts our lives every time we pick up our smartphones, sit at our computers, or enjoy the unending blockbusters that come from Pixar. In this world, nothing that's truly worth having or doing comes easily and it's up to each individual to determine how far they are willing to go. But as I have learned, yet again, it's only after you've chopped down the metaphorical tree that you can enjoy the fire and feel fully satisfied, knowing that none of it would have been possible had you not persevered.
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