In 2012 I did an experiment. I lived as if this was the last year of my life. I discovered that I had been entertaining the idea of living for the last 38 years but had often failed to actually live- mostly because fear held me back and I struggled to know what to hope for. This is not an epic tale of a no holds barred, throw caution to the wind, tug on Superman's cape, blow my wad- year of extravagance. This was a very thoughtful and serious approach to finding meaning in the seemingly insignificant moments of life, pursuing some mini-adventures, and learning how to face death and keep hope alive. I hope one or two of the insights I gained this year give you the courage to take some risks and thrive!