Praise Others Project (December 10th) - Chris, Anne and Lisa

Today I am going off the business oriented topic and I am going to praise some important folks who helped shape my life. Peers can be a big influence as one grows up, and I had a wonderful group of friends in my youth.

I am going to highlight three bloggers who are not folks who I know from their books and blogs, but rather they are my friends from high school. I grew up in Arcadia, California (a suburb of Los Angeles) and was lucky to have had some really amazing friends around me. Of course I did not appreciate them at the time.

After high school I had lost touch with most of my high school pals (a main group of about 9 people) and we did not reconnect until our twenty-year reunion. Time took everyone in many different directions. Some of the group are married with kids, others are not. Some are democrats, others are republicans,...while still others are independent or green. But all of them are wonderful, caring, people who I am proud to have back in my life. Those who live in Southern California see each other regularly, the rest of us are in often touch by email. Anytime someone has a milestone in their life we now share it with each other.

I would like to honor all the kids I grew up with who touched my life in today's "Praise Others Project" entry. I am who I am today because of so many people who came into my life when I was young: Tim, Deron, Kelly, Kathleen, Anne, Kris, Tim & Todd, Dave, Eric, Lisa, Mike, Kim, Marti, Jill, Debbie, Ginger, Melinda, Tom, Chris, Lisa, Adam, Julie, Paula, Philip, Bryan...(and anyone else I might have left out).

Three of my high school chums write blogs (that I know about). They are not "business" blogs (like most that are being highlighted in the "Praise Others Project"), but rather very interesting personal observations of the world. I have come to admire their journeys in life by being an observer.

I have known them all since at least seventh grade (actually I have known Anne since 1st or 2nd grade)

Chris is a pastor in the Pacific Northwest.

Anne is a writer and has the cool job of working in an independent bookstore.

Lisa (who calls herself Lucy in her blog, yet I don't know why) is an up and coming executive in the entertainment industry.

Each make the world a better place. Check out their blogs and enjoy their stories.

Have A Great Day.

thom