And the winning blog post this year? *Drum roll by the little drummer boy* My China adventure! Thanks to all of my readers, twitter followers, Linkedin connections, friends and family for being there through thick and thin. As the end of the year is fast approaching it is rewarding to look back at your accomplishments during 2013. Happy holidays everyone!!!

1. Staying grounded
• Not letting your ego rule your head is important and I learned some valuable lessons this year in become more patient with all kinds of people. I wrote about a number of things to help keep you focused on the results rather than the short term gains.
• Know what you can and cannot change
• Change comes slowly
• Offer to help
2. Continuous learning
• Not only did I complete my MBA this year, but I read a record number of books! Really that's not saying much but I realized that I only wrote reviews on a fraction of them. Let me know if there are any books on this list that you'd like me to write about!
1. Ready Player One
2. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
3. Lean In
4. Bossypants
5. Three Cups of Tea
6. Success Built to Last
7. What the Best CEOs Know
8. How the Mighty Fall
9. Good to Great
10. The E-Myth Revisited
11. Linchpin
12. Enchantment
13. The Power of Habit
14. Made to Stick
3. Staying positive
• I've stayed vigilant and have no doubt that I will find a wonderful new job in the new year. I've stayed busy contributing to society in other ways and I can't wait to discover what challenges the future holds. A few of my posts this year touched on ideas to keep a smile on your face.
• Laughter reduces stress
• True commitment doesn't come and go
• Celebrate the small (and big) wins

I look forward to another full year of blogging and sharing my thoughts with you. Post a comment below!

I am one "smart cookie"!