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A thing on my mind this week. I find that sometimes when there is good news to celebrate in your own life or in your friends life. There is both a collective and internal desire to find the negative aspects in life as well. A coping mechanism to stop the celebration in its tracks. By latching on to those negative things you somehow believe it will help keep you grounded. It won’t let your ego swell too large. And it will let you explain away why you maybe are not the one currently able to celebrate.

Other peoples success and being happy for them sometimes makes us start comparing. As if we can extrapolate from their success a magic way to have success of our own. Also, it can make us feel that we must be doing something wrong since we are not the ones currently celebrating.

I have learned that someone’s success does not mean anything at ALL about my own success and worth in this world. My name and my actions and my work must stand on their own legs. There is immense power in that. I can be fully engaged and present in my happiness for others without in anyway worrying what this means for me.

I then become a bigger cheerleader and supporter of those around me. I forge ahead on the path I have chosen without compromising who I am to try and fit the mold others have created. (The mold that allows them in this moment to be celebrated). There is great joy in this. We should all get to feel joy to its fullest extent without worrying about how our joy will make others feel.

This is not to say you can’t wish for something others have. That you can’t desire to be celebrated as well. But here is the secret: Someone is always celebrating that you exist in this world. You might not always know who, but I promise someone out there is magnificently happy you are around. Celebrating your impact for simply being you. For being the amazing friend, talent, person, and light in this world that you are. That is already more than enough.

So I celebrate you. I celebrate all that you are and all the things you are yet to be. But most importantly, I hope you are able to celebrate yourself as well. Cause gosh darn it. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

This post was originally posted on facebook.

Six Year NYC anniversary was yesterday. Everything worked out pretty ok . I know some people have called me brave etc for making this leap. So I just want to remind you all: You have the power to do anything you want in this life!

We talk ourselves out of so much all the time. Claiming it unattainable or the wrong time and all the excuses we like to give. The actual truth is, most things, are in fact possible. I am not saying you have to leave for your dream tomorrow, but don’t talk yourself out of something you really want out of the fear that you can’t do it in the right way. This may seem like “Jen being all inspirational with no substance”. But let me tell you, whatever it is you want, it just takes enough of a plan to get started. The whole thing doesn’t have to be perfectly planned out. So if you want to move the family to Europe, want to open a bed and breakfast, want to write a book, want to climb Everest, achieve EGOT status etc you should.

What it takes: A singular focus, a shared vision (if others are involved), and enough self introspection to realize that it is TOTALLY ok if it is not perfect. The question I always ask myself before making a leap is “What’s the worst that could happen?”. The answer to myself is usually I have to take a step back to where I was before if it does not work out. Funny thing is, that has never happened. We adapt and grow and cause we are all so awesome, we actually have a really good time doing that.

So if you are felling stuck, without purpose, or just … meh. Find your singular focus and get working towards it a little every day. Some examples of easy ways to start:

• Start learning the language of a cool place you would like to live as a family.
• Go on a hike that is more challenging than the last each week to build stamina.
• Write for 20 minutes every day.

And what then happens if you never actually climb Everest, or move the family to Europe etc? Will this time you invested in preparing for the dream really be wasted? No in fact, as they say, life is all about the journey, the journey takes longer than the arrival at whatever your great dream is. So enjoy the journey but don’t forget to change directions if you have seen this scenery too much. There is a lot of world to see, both physically and in the journey of self-discovery.

PS. Your dream can also change over time, don’t feel like you have failed if you decide what you once wanted is no longer the thing that will fulfill you. Change and grow and let yourself be swept up in a new direction.

This post was originally posted on facebook.

My thoughts today are on: Talents, passions, and all those skills you have tucked away. In other words: Your uniqueness.

We generally recognize that we are a sum of all our parts when it comes to life experiences and knowledge we have learned along the way. But just like Captain Planet – when our powers combine – we become super heroes. We all are super heroes and can be great once our powers are unleashed on this world. It is a fascinating exercise to really take inventory of what you do well, and put those skills together in unique ways. Yes, even in your enjoyment of your life you can be more efficient.

This all boils down to knowing yourself, but focusing on the things you do well instead of what you perceive as a “lack”. No one (even yours truly, as shocking as it is to believe ) does everything well. But every skill you have, every heartfelt conversation, every time you have grown in any part of your life has shaped your uniqueness. Your uniqueness is a commodity this world needs. 



Along our journey we will always find people we are drawn to and want to be like. The key is not to emulate others in everything they do, only in the aspect we admire most that we feel would add to our growth or enjoyment of life. That will season and compliment our uniqueness not replace the main ingredients.

Envy and jealously do not serve us, what does is celebrating accomplishments with each other and letting others joy fuel our own. We can all be a league of superheroes finding greatness in each other. When you do find someones greatness (or one of the many facets) make sure to let them know. Because sometimes even superheroes are blinded by their kryptonite.

If you ever need a reminder of your power you know where to find me

This post was originally posted on facebook.

It has been two years. Two years since I left my house on my way to dinner with friends and two blocks from my apartment got hit by a car. Yes, I broke something. Yes, I had to have surgery. And, yes, it sucked at the time.

But time has a way of showing clarity in retrospect. Events like this, impact not just your world at the moment but your trajectory beyond. That is why they call it a turning point. At first I tried to go back to what I had been doing before, my solitary focus was to feel normal again, do all the things I had planned. (Work towards becoming a software engineer etc). I had a drive to not let the accident change ANYTHING. My trajectory would NOT be impacted, and it wasn’t. But what I learned was that my path I had laid out was no longer the path that fit. I was fighting to stay on course, even though signs pointed to the fact that I might be headed the wrong way. It took me a few months after everything was back to “normal” to realize this. When the dust settled momentarily that had arisen from the chaos of normalcy, I realized my normalcy was just a train in motion. I realized I had the opportunity to get off the train at the next stop and change my destination.

And now that I have I am thankful, which it is the season to be. Thankful for a new outlook, a new drive, a new work I am passionate about. I am thankful for new friends and as always, my family and my old friends that have stuck with me through it all.

Turning points can be some of the most positive things in this world as long as we allow them, if we can, to set us on a more focused path to what we want as we are now, in this new moment. You can’t stay unchanged by them. Soul searching has to happen to let you know what you truly desire from here.

Don’t be scared of embracing those turning points. Let them have an effect on you. Allow them to tell you what should come next. Not based on money or material things, but on what your soul is calling out for.

If you got this far in my novel thanks for being you and for helping me on my new path. As always, I am here to help you on yours.

This post was originally posted on facebook.