My life is amazing.

2014 is another chapter in my journey, but I want more. I am willing to put in the hard work to make my dreams a reality. Here are a couple of highlights of 2014, in no particular order.

The year began with a house in escrow, because I needed something a little bigger as my family grew. Also, I was putting the finishing touches on my new book Big Dreams Take Small Sacrifices. In April, I found out my wife was pregnant with our second child. I witnessed my boy Andrew take his first steps, and say the words Mama, Dada, and—of course—touchdown, which his Grandma taught him. I also had fun taking trips to Vegas, Seattle and Lake Tahoe. I watched friends get married and welcomed my first nephew Ezra into the world.

Years ago, I thought an amazing night was going out to the clubs and getting home no earlier than 3am, but now an amazing night is having a 7pm dinner with the people I love and getting slapped by my son Andrew as he’s laughing at Daddy.

I am speaking at a higher level. This year I spoke at USC not once, but three times! I spoke for the team captains. Who would have ever thought a guy who can’t even hold a basketball can inspire a team of athletes? How cool is that!?  For the first time, I spoke in a theatre and got to share the stage with two of my mentors, Jim and Terry, who I have been following for a decade.

For a while now, I’ve been really thinking about the idea of designing a life that involves being inspired, working hard, being challenged, meeting people and having fun.

For example, every year I travel to Seattle and watch the Super Bowl winning Seahawks, and get a chance to hang out with my buddy Coach Pete Carroll. If I didn’t write and speak professionally for a living, there is no way that I would have a friendship with Coach Carroll. I would not attend practice or be able to hang out on the sidelines before the game. (By the way, when I was watching the Super Bowl, I got to watch my friend win rather than just watching some old team that I root for.)

I was watching an interview with Matthew Berry, an expert on fantasy football. Matthew got a call from Jay-Z asking him advise about it. In the interview, Berry says, “ In what world does Jay-Z call me?” To which I say, “ In what world does Sourena Vasseghi get to motivate a football team?”  I love it!

The reason I worked so hard is not because I’m a workaholic. I worked hard because it’s a means for me to have fun, meet cool people, and create a life that my sons can have a unique experience in.

I emailed my buddy Chris last week and said, “Let’s do a seminar every year in Orlando. Afterwards, we can fly out our boys and wives and go to Disney World on the profits we make from the seminar.” How cool is that?

Happy Holidays and remember…big dreams take small sacrifices.