Where has the time gone? The Peoria Woman celebrates its 16th anniversary this month. We’ve shared the stories of hundreds of female leaders from the business, cultural, and social scene in central Illinois. We’ve shared advice from experts in various fields and suggested ideas for improving your business, family, and personal health. On this page, I’ve shared personal anecdotes, brought awareness to community needs, and questioned trends in business and life. Many of you let me know when we “connect” on a topic. Thank you.

As I thought about how quickly 2005 has slipped by, I was stunned by the realization that I’ve actually been the sole owner of Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. for more than half of our history as a company. So busy working in the business, it’s caught me by surprise—not unlike a landmark birthday sneaking up. As a Peoria woman myself, I’ve taken a few moments to reflect on life and the life of CIBP.

I began to jot down a few “truths,” such as: Work is never finished. Be careful what you wish for. Maintenance, while not glamorous, must not be overlooked. Family comes first. Independence is sometimes lonely.

However, I think Dr. Kent Keith, who wrote “The Paradoxical Commandments” first in 1968 for student leaders, then included them in his book, The Paradoxical Commandments: Finding Personal Meaning in a Crazy World, published in May 2002, says it best:

• People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
• If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
• If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
• The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
• Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
• The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
• People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
• What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
• People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
• Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

Through the best and the worst of times, it’s best to strive for that positive attitude and take nothing for granted. Thank you, central Illinois readers and sponsors, for growing along with us. We look forward to 2006—Happy New Year. TPW