Wowzer, 2011 was a good one.

Yikes, 2011 was tough.

Damn, 2011 was amazing.

Fuck, 2011 was a bitch.

At certain points in 2011 I was convinced that one of the above statements would prove to be my overall review of this year. Professionally and personally, 2011 was one of flux. I look back on this year with great love, a good dose of hate and some invaluable lessons. Here is what I found out in 2011.

In the year of the rabbit I found out that learning things can mean taking steps backward. More than a couple.

I found out that sometimes the best way to make your short-term goals a reality is to focus more on your long-term aspirations.

There are times when some things are just not meant to be; and for a very good reason. That said, it should be noted that it may take major heartache mixed with tequila to see this.

You have to let down your guard, go for what your gut tells you and let things happen. Try to over think shit. Just try it. Fail.

In life, it is fun to just sprint coast-to-coast like Ty Lawson through the paint.

That dude Thomas Edison hit the nail on the head. I always felt this way, but for 2011 it rang especially true. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

…..and the harder you work the luckier you get.

That dude Jay-Z hit the nail on the head. Real recognize real, and you lookin’ familiar.

At the rip age of 32 you should still hop in the occasional, weekend vortex.

Whether it is shredding the mountain or hooping on the hard wood, physical activity has become much more of a meditation like escape whilst aging.

Life is fun. When it is not though, keep your good peoples around you, they will get you through that stuff.

There is an ebb and flow to business that, after years in the game, I am still trying to perfect.

Colorado weather is precisely like a 2 and a half year old’s disposition, wait 5 minutes and it will change.

At the end of the day, I really believe the most important thing I found out many moons ago is that you have got to keep a swagger in life. A very positive, confident (tip-toeing on the line of over-confident), transparent, fun (but not fun lush) swagger that allows you to learn from those around you and hand back some learnings of your own.