There’s a lot to say about this year.

2012 started with my best friend and I sitting on the balcony in Hawaii. What a way to ring in the new year. This year was mostly a year of reflection, writing, and love. If 35-year-old Sourena told 25-year-old Sourena about what happened, well, 25-year-old Sourena would fall out of his chair. I took many vacations. I went to Hawaii twice, the Philippines once, Frisco twice, Tahoe, and don’t even get me started about Vegas.

On September 11th, after I came back from my bachelor party, Leslie arrived…and two months later, we were happily married.

I also had the pleasure of hanging out with my cousin, who I had never met before. She came with her boyfriend from Italy, and they were here for three weeks.

In the last month, I have been thinking about my career more than usual. Here’s my conclusion: Speaking is dear to me. It’s more about excitement than anything. Yes, I want to make a good living. Yes, I love helping people. But when I went to Hawaii, I was at the activity desk and most of the excursions I simply could not do. Being on stage gives me that high that I quite can’t get anywhere else. The second reason is that speaking and writing gives me access to really awesome people. A week ago, I was in a room with Larry Winget and Joe Calloway, along with six other speakers and I felt like I belonged. It was invigorating and exciting.

As I contemplate having a family and being a father, I want to do something extraordinary so one day my kids will say, “My Dad did that.”