Blog: Embracing Life - A Journey of Self-Discovery and Adventure

by Karen Penticost, VP of Client Success & Channel Strategy, Envision Technology Advisors, LLC 

Last year I read a book that was recommended to me “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” a novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I read quite a bit but my go to genre is always a good Psychological Thriller, so this book was not my typical. I finished the book at 2AM one night & immediately booked a trip to Italy. Last October I spent two amazing weeks roaming around the Italian Riviera. When I came back from that trip, I immediately booked a trip to Greece. On May 16, 2024, I returned from spending two amazing weeks traveling all over Greece. I am now planning my next adventure. The book I read made me realize that I've always focused on others & their needs, work, family, friends etc. Yes, this is all very important, I love it all & would never want to change any of it, but I have now learned to add something & that is a focus on me. It took me over 20 years to get here but here I am.  We all need to take time for ourselves, I am worth it & you are worth it. We all deserve it. As I floated around the Aegean Sea on a Catamaran looking up at the beautiful landscape of Santorini, I decided that these words below, from the novel I probably wouldn’t have chosen for myself are what I will now live by. 
 

“Don't leave anything for later. 
 Later, the coffee gets cold. 
 Later, you lose interest. 
 Later, the day turns into night. 
 Later, people grow up. 
 Later, people grow old. 
 Later, life goes by. 
 Later, you regret not doing something... 
 When you had the chance. 

Life is a fleeting dance, a delicate balance of moments that unfold before us, never to return in quite the same way again. 
Regret is a bitter pill to swallow, a weight that bears down upon the soul with the burden of missed chances and unspoken words. 
So, let us not leave anything for later. Let us seize the moments as they come, with hearts open and arms outstretched to embrace the possibilities that lie before us. For in the end, it is not the things we did that we regret, but the things we left undone, the words left unspoken, the dreams left unfulfilled.

Bio: Karen Penticost is currently the VP of Client Success and Channel Strategy at Envision Technology Advisors. She has held many leadership positions over the years and her career has taken on my directions, but she has always been involved in the MSP Community and the Channel. She has a passion and strength for building and motivating high performing teams and growing Vendor Partnerships. In her current role, she wears many hats within the company strategy, but her focus is primarily on the Channel, Partner Relations, and Customer Success. Karen launched a channel partner program within her organization which provides high end services to other IT organizations and their clients. She has won numerous awards for her contributions both professionally and personally and is very active in women’s leadership. Six years ago, she co-founded Women of Massachusetts Engagement Network (W.O.M.E.N) to create a space for women to come together, ignite inspiration and build community, Karen is a mentor as well as a former life Coach. She is involved in many animal rescue organizations across the US.