{SPARK! Volume 1}

Lately I've been thinking it would be nice to have some brilliant minds I know contribute little somethings to my blog every once in awhile. There are so many people in my life that inspire me every day in different ways, and why not share their thoughts with you too, right? So...to start this off I want to introduce you to one of my best friends, Jyl. Jyl and I have known each other since freshman year of college, and it's pretty safe to say that I would be completely lost without her in my life. Jyl doesn't mess around ... she does what she says she will and says exactly what she thinks. She is super intelligent, and has an insight on life that I really appreciate. Jyl's column is called 'Spark', and will offer you weekly challenges that can spark action in your life in a variety of ways. I hope you enjoy her, because I definitely do!

So without further ado, here's her debut:

Around the holiday season, we all think about what we are thankful for, how lucky we are and some of us evaluate how we could make a better impact on society or how we can change someone's life. While these are all very important, I urge you to think about where are are, where you have been and where you want to go. Take some time this week to think about who you were two or three years ago, who you are because of your past and where you want to be going. I know that some of us feel lost or feel like some of our dreams have had to be put on hold, but we need to realize that no matter what age, we can be whoever and whatever we want to be. We can't give up on ourselves. Once we realize how happy we are and what we can be in ourselves, everything else will follow. We will be able to offer so much more to society, our friends and family. When you're happy with who you are, everything else is so much easier.