It’s my birthday! Every year, I let myself have a can of Coke on my birthday.
I have a bit of an addictive personality. I think it’s more that my personality and interests tend to run more deep than broad — for instance, this company started out as my hobby, out of pure love for researching skin care. (See?) Growing up, my parents didn’t buy a lot of Coca-Cola, but when I got to college, it was everywhere. And included on my meal plan. And I realized, like, OMG, it was the greatest thing ever.
Aaaaand then I gained weight. I very quickly started to realize, OK, I needed to cut back.So now I drink it once a year. I treasure my one little can of Coke like it’s really expensive chocolate or diamonds or something rare, because for me, it is. Sometimes I think there are so many perfect little things like that in our daily lives that we take for granted because they’re easily accessible, readily available, and relatively inexpensive — things like Post-It notes and Bic pens and Cheez Nips (God, I could eat a whole box. Don’t get me started).
And people too. The older I get, the more I realize that we spend too much of our days chasing money, power, or status instead of nurturing our relationships with other people. For instance, I tend to get awkward sometimes in certain social situations, even with friends I’ve known for years. Call it the scientist in me, but a lot of times, I’d rather be one-on-one than in a group. And I’d definitely almost always prefer writing an email to speaking on the phone. But I’ve learned that it really matters to other people when you come to their events and stay there till the end, when you pick up the phone when they call, and when you’re actually there for them physically (not just verbally), no matter what else you’re doing or would rather be doing.
It’s hard, but learning a people-centered approach is also comforting. Because, hey, it means I’m not all alone in the world. And it also extends to blogging: recently, I had the honor of getting to meet with Gary Vaynerchuk. And in just one meeting, it convinced me to reach out more. I want to make it a priority to connect with the readers of this blog more than I ever have before, with at least one post a day, everyday, for the coming year. Even when it is more comfortable for me to do some product designing or research or some other business by myself. Because life’s about the relationships, the connection, and, ultimately, love — not just one task after another ad infinitum. I also want it to be a two-way conversation — feel free to reach out to me anytime at nicki[at]futurederm[dot]com. I will respond to each and every one of you, I promise, even if it takes a while.
All the best,
Nicki