Tag Archives: New Year’s Eve

Looking at 2013 in the Right Perspective

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Last night I sat down and downloaded Statigram, the app that generates the “year in review” videos that are the most popular thing on Instagram right now. I gave the app my info and via my top ranked Instagram photos it generated the most disappointing narration of my year ever. In five crummy pictures my 2013 was summed up by two pictures of different girls with different dogs (I don’t like dogs), an image of a tree (I am not much of a nature person), a terrible photo of myself giving an interview to a news organization (embarrassing), and lastly an actual cool photo of fireworks going off in our arena. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed.

After thinking about it for a couple minutes I decided that I was not going to let that corny video define my year, even just in an Instagram sense. Instead, I turned to Flipagram and merged together seventy of my happiest, coolest, and most memorable photos from 2013 into a fifteen second Instagram video set to a song that means a lot to me. It made me feel a lot better about how I was ending 2013 on my favorite social media service.

I made sure to make a deserving video for my Instagram year in review.

I made sure to make a deserving video for my Instagram year in review.

The way I evaluated my year on a social media level corresponded to how I evaluated my year on a general level as well. In 2013 I came head-to-head with some disappointments. I lost out on a couple opportunities that I probably think about too much. I allocated too much of my time to some people and not enough to others. I had a few bad days. But in the same way that I allowed my Flipagram video to trounce my Statigram video, I have willingly let my good times in 2013 dramatically overshadow the subpar times. In 2013 I experienced a lot of joy. I laughed a lot. I made new friends. I woke up motivated and hungry every day. I grew as a person. My family had a safe and healthy year. I had a great twelve months working for Grizzly Athletics.

I mean really, what more could I ask for?

I will remember March 16, 2013 for the rest of my life. We sent both our basketball teams to the Big Dance under the same roof just a few hours apart.

I will remember March 16, 2013 for the rest of my life. We sent both our basketball teams to the Big Dance under the same roof just a few hours apart.

In 2013 I got to take some nice vacations in Boston, Las Vegas, and Orlando. I got to see a couple great concerts. I attended some pretty sweet professional sporting events. I dined at the nicest restaurant I have ever eaten at in my life. While these times were cool and are nice little notches in my 2013 belt, they don’t highlight my year. Rather, a day like July 5 where I spent a sun drenched, action packed day in Walla Walla, Washington, with my family mean more to me. Or the day of March 16 where both our men’s and women’s basketball teams punched tickets to the NCAA Tournament under the same roof just hours apart stick out more. Or the week I just experienced in Spokane where I got to put everything aside and just be myself around my loved ones will always scream “2013” more than any vacation or concert.

Quite possibly July 5 in Walla Walla with my family was my best day in 2013.

Quite possibly July 5 in Walla Walla with my family was my best day in 2013.

If you find yourself sorrowing over 2013 try to think about the good things that did happen. Even those of us who had a truly rotten year can find a few positives. Try to focus on those moments until the clock hits midnight this evening. Then wipe the slate clean and pour 100% of your energy into making 2014 the best ever. Thank you for making 2013 a GREAT year for Don’t Blink. I wish all of you a very prosperous new year. Cherish every second of it. Don’t Blink.

Glad for 2012, Optimistic for 2013

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At midnight we ushered in 2013 and now we have 365 fresh days to make our mark on this year. Last night I had a great time celebrating the arrival of the New Year with Paige and another couple. After a fabulous dinner at the Depot, we joined hundreds of other Missoulians in downtown to welcome yet another resetting of the calendar. For a variety of reasons I have a great feeling about what this year will bring. I have had this feeling since Christmas ended and it was just reinforced this morning at mass as I just had positive and calming vibes running through my veins. I am excited for 2013!

I do want to touch on 2012 just a bit though. I will count this past year as a success mainly because I ended the year better than where I started it. At the onset of 2012 I had just wrecked my car and was feeling pretty low. However, as the first few weeks passed I started to regain a little bit of my swagger and my personal outlook of myself slowly started to improve. By the end of the month I had purchased a new car and I had pretty much moved on. From there, 2012 was not that bad at all.

Highlights from 2012 include attending the NCAA Tournament in Albuquerque with the Griz, developing this blog to its current state, watching www.gogriz.com grow substantially, guiding the Griz social media program to the top spot among all other schools in the FCS, seeing some amazing concerts including the American Country Awards, traveling to various different places across the country, and meeting my wonderful girlfriend.

In the broader picture, 2012 was circled for me simply because it was the year of the Summer Olympics and of the Presidential Election. Both of these events provided me with great entertainment and a heavy sense of patriotism. Unfortunately, 2012 will always be tarnished because of the sickening tragedy in Connecticut. No matter all the positivity and prowess our country exhibited from winning the most medals at the highest valued world athletic competition on the planet or from pulling off another flawless example of democracy, we were faced with the cruel reality that we still have much to work on.

In talking about New Year’s resolutions today, my priest reminded us all to take each day one at a time. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself and look days, weeks, and months down the line. We need to focus our attention on 24 hour intervals. It is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged when we see that we have a long road in front of us but if we chop that road up into little blocks, it makes things much more manageable. I do have my resolutions ready to go and I might (not 100% sure) share those with you guys tomorrow.

Let me give a BIG THANK YOU to all of my supporters who took time to read this blog in 2012. This past year was a big one for Don’t Blink. I quadrupled my average reading audience per post and underwent a major site makeover. You guys are a big part of my motivation and I will continue to try to get better and provide more interesting content in 2013. Happy New Year! Don’t Blink.