This time of the year is always very eventful in my life. Last day of November, aka yesterday, was my birthday. Today we are on December’s side waiting for holiday celebrations in the end of the year. Also, Finland prepares itself for the independence day coming on the 6th, which always comes with its’ own events. This year, it is time to celebrate 100-year-old Finland.

Independence day is the birthday of a country, the birth of the state that it is in today. On the day of that birth, all qualities and values were put in place as how to build the country forward. Finland has been through a long path these past 100 years, from poverty to success. I and the generations before me have seen good times as well as challenging times, but as we are about to celebrate the independence the 100th time, we can agree on the success the country has made.

In a similar way, our personal birthdays should be celebrated for our own path. We were born to certain conditions, and the way we build our way and success from there, is the real subject we should look at and celebrate. A birthday is always a beautiful reminder that you are a fighter, you have made it to the point you are today.

We can expand the same thinking to relationships, teams and companies. An anniversary is always the appreciation of the life lived, the challenges won and the successes gained. Ultimately, we are celebrating life!

As it is the darkest time of the year here up north, I collected some of my sunniest shots from our lovely four seasons in Finland to light up this December:

Autumn // Celebrate all the colours, the life lived!

Winter // Find your sunshine, even in the coldest of times!

Spring // Remember that a birthday is the start of the next chapter.

Summer // Home is where your heart is!

Have a lovely December everyone, and Happy 100th Independence Day my fellow Finns!

Satu