1. Goodbyes: When someone you love is dying, nothing is more important than making time to be with them and tell them what they mean to you. Everything else can wait. Rest in peace, my kind, funny father-in-law, Maynard Thornhill, 1947-2019.

2. Decisions: Retiring from teaching part-time at CSUN for 28 years did not make me sad or lead to a professional identity crisis. It was a lovely ending to a very rewarding chapter in my career. And now I’m passionately all-in as full-time CEO of Sampson Coaching and Consulting. What is it time for you to let go of?

3. Family: Becoming an “empty nester” can be more of a beginning than an ending. It’s the start of a new and exciting relationship with our kids. It’s also a great time to pursue new goals and return to passions and projects that were set aside for a couple of decades to prioritize child-rearing!

4. Health: Wear sunscreen every day, sunshine or rain. Thank you, Dr. Gaminchi, for discovering and successfully removing my basal cell carcinoma and for doing it with such kindness and compassion. Also, take care of your body and listen when it tells you to stop or change something. Thank you, Dr. Gazmarian, for diagnosing my herniated disc and Dr. Echeverry, for the physical therapy that’s helping me get back to my full physical capabilities.

5. Business: Our expanding services at Sampson Coaching and Consulting are becoming valuable for more and more companies and people. In 2019 we welcomed NBCUniversal, Impossible Foods, The Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Pain Remedy Solutions, and about 15 new individual coaching clients to our growing client list. We also took on a lot of new work at Google, our client for 8 years now. How can you keep expanding your idea of what’s possible in your business or career?

7. Mindset Shifts: Working closely with CEOs and other top executives is not intimidating, it’s exhilarating. I really relate to highly driven people and thoroughly enjoy brainstorming and diving deep into innovative ideas with thought leaders. What have you been afraid of that you might actually enjoy?

8. Love: Rescuing a new dog just two weeks after the loss of Rex, our beloved dog of 16 years, was definitely the right call for us and for our 5-year-old Labrador Retriever, Viper. You can simultaneously grieve and savor the joy of falling in love all over again. Welcome to the family, Roger. You are so perfect for us and we look forward to many years of cuddling with you. More love is always a good choice.