A Year In Review: 2012

I've seen a lot of Facebook posts from my peers highlighting what they did for the entire year of 2012.  It made me stop to reflect on my own accomplishments last year as well.  There should be enough Facebook posts, Tweets, and blog entries to go into depth on anyone of these so I'm going do a headline news version.

ComedySportz

• Got onto a Genesis League team and helped naming it Any Given Hyundai.  It was a good experience in meeting new people and practicing my improv skills in a semi-pro setting.
  
• Took the Madskillz II class and learned some excellent games and technique when improvising scenic hip-hop.
  
• Performed in the Improv Minions as well where I learned just how uncomfortable people are with dealing with race on stage they're not familiar with.

Salsation

• Started up and performed with Los Improviachis.  This was a labor of love and I am glad that it's left my brain and materialized this year.  I've been also adding improv team coaching/directing along with musical directing to my palette of marketable skills.
  
  
• Formed and produced the Salsation Improv team.  I got to coach this team as well (and most recently house manage!  Gotta love venue mishaps)
• Co-produced and co-direct Salsation's latest sketch comedy show Daylabor Dreamin' and am personally taking it to Sketchfest this month.
  
• Had another successful fundraiser
  
• Got us into a couple of comedy festivals - Chicago Women's Funny Festival, Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, and the North Carolina Comedy and Arts Festival (we're not going to the last one unfortunately but at least we got in!)
  
  
  
  
• Helped get Word Up on its feet and even performed as a poet for the first time ever. 
• Wrote, starred in, and produced my first HD video of the year "Only On Sunday".
  

Professionally

• Got published 4 times in the IBM Expert System Integrators Blog  with blogs pertaining to the PureSystem family of servers and software.
• Got a few videos published as well from the IBM PureSystems Residency.
  
  
  
• Worked on a ton of new projects and got a ton of experience on new systems and software technologies.

Personally

• Kept my family fed, clothed, sheltered, and happy.  MORE OF THAT! 
• Got my Dad the much needed help he needed in his old age.  It zapped my credit cards dry but at least he's in the place he needs to be in in order to get help.
• Helped my wife launch her Jill V Photography Studio.
• Got a new dog Rex (still getting used to him.  Argh!  Puppies!)
• Got my condo rented for 2 years.  MUCH NEEDED!
• Came to realize that many people are not on my level when it comes to personal ambition, drive, and professionalism.  I had an epiphany that I needed to stop wasting my time on people who are not on the same page as I am with regards to doing things to make themselves happy.  I must've thought I could change them in some way, shape, or form.  All it did was aggravate me.  I spent the last 4-6 months seeking and working with the people I see are invested in not only themselves but also in me by wanting to (not feeling obligated to) work with me.  I've been a lot happier in general with my work as a result.
  
  Anecdotally, I've heard second-hand from different people who got used to me working so hard on their behalf's in the past actually complaining about my new found attitude.  They felt excluded from activities they claimed they wanted to be a part of.  What they neglected to see in their logic that their own actions were the reasons why they didn't participate by either not answering the call to join me or ignoring any invitations to be a part of something.  However, somehow miraculously it was my fault.  Go figure.

2012 was amazing.  We didn't experience a Mexican Rapture, made a lot of personal gains, and have another year to surpass it!  Can't wait to continue growing and being happy.