As each year dwindles to an end, I like to take a few moments to reflect on the previous twelve months. 2007 has been a year of reflection and change. All in all, it was a good year, filled with challenges, decisions, and growth.

Personally, I made the decision to pursue my dreams in the face of those that were content to maintain the status quo. I had to make some hard, life-altering choices. Choices for the better, for sure, although there are short-term consequences. It’s the price to pay for happiness, however. Life is too short and too fragile to spend it in the wrong situation or with the wrong person. Onward to a brighter future and better days.

Writing-wise, I attended the CSSF Science Fiction Writers Workshop in Lawrence, Kansas over the summer. I met many fine people there and my skills as a writer improved greatly as a result of the workshop. I submitted a few stories and collected a handful of rejections, including one “near miss” postscript.

Professionally, I’ve begun the transition from day-to-day operations to management, which basically means I let others do my work for me while I come up with creative new ways to keep them busy. It’s a challenge letting others take control of the things I’ve spent the last three years building. It also means that I’ll be able to spend more time writing and enjoying the company of those I love.

Life is full of regrets, over things that we should have done sooner, would have done differently, and wish we’d never done. Regrets are a part of who we are, but they don’t define us. What defines us is how we handle those regrets. We can either wallow in our guilt or we can learn from those mistakes, better ourselves, and move forward. Here’s to 2008, which is already shaping up to be a spectacular year.