The 30 Days of Thanks Intro: My friend Mika (http://www.mthvirtualassistance.com/2009/11/07/30-days-of-thanks-day-2/) joined her friends in a project called 30 Days of Thanks. The idea of doing a journal of thanks for the 30 days of November seems like a terrific way to focus on abundance and joy. Feel free to join us!

Today I had the honor and privilege of interviewing young men and women who applied for a nomination to attend a service academy. Since my brothers and I all attended the Naval Academy (my sister went AFROTC) and I taught at the Naval Academy, this was a wholly different part of the puzzle. I was impressed with the caliber of the young people who are motivated, energized, and eager to serve their country. It made me smile to hear them talk about their idealistic views of how they are going to change the world. I admire them for standing up, volunteering, and articulating the same things my brothers and sister and I all said when asked why we wanted to be in the military. While everyone has a different perspective, a common theme was the desire to be part of a greater purpose. I was also impressed by the caliber of the people conducting the interviews. While every office conducts the selection differently, I am sure, I was struck by the fairness, dedication, and commitment of the teams of strangers, who come together to help their elected officials make great choices for a stronger military. The teams really worked hard to place the right young people at the right academy. I am thankful to be a small part of such a fair, careful, and deliberate process to help young people with their futures and the future of the officer community of the US military. Dr. Mary Kelly, CDR USN (ret) CEO, Productive Leaders www.ProductiveLeades.com