This time last year, I was celebrating my wife's birthday in Bali.

This morning, whilst writing this article and enjoying a cup of coffee in Mykonos, I'm confronted with the most spectacular view of the Aegean Sea.

Naturally, my first thought is for my wife's birthday and ensuring she has a great day ;)

With that being said, this trip is also providing me with a welcomed opportunity to relax, slowly reflect on what I've accomplished over the past 12 months and re-group myself, in terms of my ambitions and priorities for the next 12 months. 

Bottom line, I'm in a much better place than I was 12 months ago, on account of having successfully launched the Empowered Wealth platform and supported the next evolution of the Empowered Pensions Group. 

This has not been without it's challenges, a lot of which I have documented in my articles about delivering a technological transformation and orchestrating systems, teams and technologies. Whilst great progress has been made and I believe the stage is set for significant growth over the coming years, there are plenty of challenges that still lay before us.

On a personal level, whilst deeply stressful at times, I have benefitted from the many obstacles that I've needed to overcome in the past 12 months. It is at this point that I'd like to offer a very special thank you to Hillsong Church. Speaking frankly, I can longer imagine my life without the profound re-balancing effect that Sunday services have on my life. The same goes for the unwavering love and support of my family.

As a CTO and Senior Rails Developer, I'm paying very close attention to the mind-bending and rapid innovations, which are taking place in the AI space. This time last year I read Patterns of Application Development Using AI by Obie Fernandez.

Since then, I've been delighted to see all the great work, which is being done by members of the Ruby community, to embrace and drive the AI revolution. As with all revolutions of this kind, once they gain sufficient momentum, the pace of innovation tends to accelerate at an exponential rate. Such is the need to strap in and embrace the ride. If you're interested in what's happening in the Ruby AI space, I would encourage you to listen to the Ruby Rogues podcast and join the Ruby AI community on X.

So .... as I relax by the pool and while away the long sunny days reading The Goldfinch, I find myself reflecting on what's to come. 

It strikes me, on both a personal and collective level, that we're at a major crossroads. 

As with all seasons of seismic and rapid change, it is those who lean in and embrace the disruption, who tend to benefit most. 

And so it is, that I have resolved to open my heart and mind, to all the amazing opportunities, which the future has to offer. 

I accept that His plan is bigger than me and by placing my trust in Him, step confidently into the next chapter of my life.  

Let's go!