Me

I don't talk about myself much on this blog. Not in detail anyway...in fact my sister told me this year that she thinks I have become more private about myself with each year. It's funny- I don't think about myself that way, but it has made me think and decide to share a few fun things going on with me that are not really specific to Davis. I think that's important for moms- to both think of themselves as separate from their babies and value things they are doing separate from being a mom. Even though that is my favorite gig. So without further adieu- here is a quick list.

1) Public Speaking. I had my first speaking engagement last week at UT. My buddy Oscar and I met with the #1 ranked Texas Advertising Graduate program and shared with them a behind the scenes look at the agency world. We did it on our own time, as advertising people, not necessarily GSD&Mers. It. Was. Awesome. I forgot how excited and passionate students are. We stayed around and talked with them and met some incredibly bright students that are doing amazing things like getting venture capital and starting businesses on the side. Brilliant. We are going to continue working the local circuit, starting with universities, and then hopefully expanding to marketing groups and businesses. I love public speaking and Oscar is really fun- so the partner dynamic adds quite a bit.

2) Writing. This is crazy to even write, but somehow, I find myself helping Luke Sullivan write the 3rd version of his best selling advertising book "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This." Luke works at GSD&M and because of that, it's very common to be in meetings with him and working with him on a daily basis, but the truth is...he is an advertising legend. He's won a million One Show awards (like the Oscars for advertising) and his book is quite literally the textbook used for advertising in universities across the country. This whole thing is crazy and scary and overwhelming and exciting. I'll sort of only believe it when the book comes out in early 2012. Holy shit- my work might be published!

3) There you are, Sam. I'm feeling like me. Not just now, I've been feeling this way for a while, but I think it's worth declaring today. Ha. I went to the lady doctor for my annual and it was so funny to go back to the place where Davis was born. That feels like just yesterday and also lifetimes ago. Anyway as I sat there, I was reflecting on how much things have changed and yet how I can now confidently say that I'm really feeling like me. Sam. Not just mom. And I think that is in huge part to how much Bennett has been helping out lately. It's easy for guys to sort of coast and not realize how much their wife, the mom, takes on...but he has been amazing in realizing that and helping me out. Great dad. Great partner.

4) Reflections. I have had some big life reflections lately. Well, i've always thought and said "You only live once..." and I know it's cliche and I know most people mean it for more grand things like moving to Japan or base jumping off a building or something, but I've really meant it more in "you don't get to do this life again. make sure you're really doing it." in other words- get happy. find joy. dig in. try the things you want to and don't let fear make your decisions for you. I believe this can happen in the most seemingly mundane decisions and the biggest sexiest decisions...for housewives or for huge fancy business people. So that is an old reflection- a realization I've had for a while- but that has been recently reinvigorated. A new one is this: Maybe all that life is, is learning to give the things you've been given. It really could be- I mean it could take a lifetime to really make that real. Sure, it could be as simple as giving money to those who need it, but what I'm focusing more on is giving of your gifts to those around you. Think you're made to be a leader? Lead. Think you're made to build a family. Build a family. And do it with your whole heart, like it's what you were born to do. Because chances are, it is what you were born to do.

I guess that's it. Just four things. But big things. BIG FAT LIFE SHAKING, POT STIRRING THINGS. Let it rip.