The Leadership Blog by Ann Vanino

In the midst of economic downturn, as the green economy rises, my greatest hope is that our efforts will lead to fulfilling careers for youth who need it most. May they have hope, optimism and opportunity as they create their careers and future lives.

As the United States creates the green economy, we can help our youth. Youth can be engaged in the important issues our country is grappling with and find a fulfilling career pathway. We have a marvelous opportunity here. To do this well, youth need a voice. Our youth are ahead of us they “get” green and many of them are engaged. Let’s get youth talking about solutions to the energy and environmental challenges our world faces. They have the creativity, ingenuity and energy to help us through.

As the year closes, taking a look at the year – what worked, what didn’t – will help you to set your focus for the year to come. Here are some questions to consider:

What have you accomplished this year?
What did you do right?
What was your biggest challenge?
What are your top 3 learnings this year?
How has your perspective shifted this year?
What do you have to be thankful for?

Like a high-speed train, change has entered our lives. It is present on many fronts within the economy and politics. I find that when change manifests around us, our individual lives reflect it. Is change manifesting in your life? How are you dealing with it?