Ever had some tough decisions to make in life and not sure where the answer will come from ? Certainly, in this life we have all had to deal with difficult decisions of all sorts. As a person of faith and a believer in Jesus Christ, I believe that I have an added advantage in that I can speak to God and he will reveal his answer to me "in due time". And my friends, the "in due time" is where most of us find our difficulties. With this "microwave" society in which we live where we are all so used to getting what we want, when we want it, and how we want it, it can often be difficult to "wait on God".
"They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, ..." it says in the scripture (Isiah 40:31). Well Lord, that is easier said than done and that is where many of us get into trouble. Because we are not getting the answer that we want or we are not getting a clear indication as to what the answer is from God, we often decide that we will just "walk by sight and not by faith" though the Lord asks us to "walk by FAITH and not by sight".
There is a limit to what we can see and a limit to what we can comprehend with our mortal minds. God sees the full vision and is able to look out over the landscape and the horizon and see what we do not see. We do not get that promotion at work and are ready to walk into the bosses office and overturn the desk and raise pure hell in there. That is what our earthly mind sees and that is how our mortal being wants to act. What we don't see is that God is orchestrating a "per-chance" meeting between you and a former colleague which will result in you creating a hugely successful business that dwarfs the accomplishments of your present company. We get our hearts broken in a bad relationship and are ready to slash and burn everything in sight having to do with that ex. What we don't see is that treasure of a soul mate that God has in store for us to meet as we sit in the local coffee shop.
So as I sit and contemplate these tough business decisions which are on my immediate horizon, I just keep in mind that God sees what I don't see. He has the plan and I must just continue to pray to him and ask for guidance and ask Him that he reveal His plan to me in the appropriate time. So I pray and I wait and I pray and I wait and when God directs me to act, I will do just that ... all in accordance with His plan; NOT MINE.
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Monday, August 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
The ideal workday
Most of us have dreams of retiring early and being able to spend ample time with friends and family and other things that we like. Most people want to get out of that corporate job that has them up at 5am, scrambling around with the kids til 6am, drop off the kids at 7am, in traffic til 8am, at work until 6pm, in traffic until 7pm, brief family time until 8pm, do more work until 10pm, intimate time with your spouse until 10:30pm (if it's a good day), to bed by 11pm, then up again at 5am, ... and so the cycle continues. Man was not meant to live like that. We weren't born to be caged up in little cubicles all day long working long hours and giving away half of our pay in taxes. We weren't meant to have to settle for 30 minutes-1 hour of family time weekly while our relationships with our children and spouse suffer. This is simply not the ideal workday.
You see, most people don't have a problem with working or with working hard for that matter. Most people have a problem with working hard long hours at something that they are not passionate about and were not born to do and does not fulfill them. I believe everyone in life deserves to be able to do something that they are truly passionate about. As I've heard dozens of successful entrepreneurs say, find something you are passionate about and learn how to turn that passion into profits. Long hours do not seem quite as long when you are working off passion rather than chasing that carrot ... or paycheck, as most of us call it.
The ideal workday should entail ample time spent on your passions. We should be passionate about our business related endeavors and likewise be passionate about our family. Our days should be flexible enough where we get 2-3 hours of family time each day in the midst of pursuing our business passions. If we need to take an hour away from business in the middle of a workday to go and see our little girl in a school play, we should be able to. If we need to take a couple hours to help our son grasp some difficult Math concepts, we should be able to. We should not be slaves to the alarm clock, the traffic report, the 1 hour lunch, the 2 weeks vacation, the 10 hour work days EVERY DAY, and all of these other ills of the corporate lifestyle. Whether our business passions involve music, entertainment, real estate, education, or all of the above, we should be able to exercise our full efforts in these passions while still being able to place full emphasis on our ultimate passion, which is quality with friends, family, and other loved ones. NOW THAT is the ideal workday.
You see, most people don't have a problem with working or with working hard for that matter. Most people have a problem with working hard long hours at something that they are not passionate about and were not born to do and does not fulfill them. I believe everyone in life deserves to be able to do something that they are truly passionate about. As I've heard dozens of successful entrepreneurs say, find something you are passionate about and learn how to turn that passion into profits. Long hours do not seem quite as long when you are working off passion rather than chasing that carrot ... or paycheck, as most of us call it.
The ideal workday should entail ample time spent on your passions. We should be passionate about our business related endeavors and likewise be passionate about our family. Our days should be flexible enough where we get 2-3 hours of family time each day in the midst of pursuing our business passions. If we need to take an hour away from business in the middle of a workday to go and see our little girl in a school play, we should be able to. If we need to take a couple hours to help our son grasp some difficult Math concepts, we should be able to. We should not be slaves to the alarm clock, the traffic report, the 1 hour lunch, the 2 weeks vacation, the 10 hour work days EVERY DAY, and all of these other ills of the corporate lifestyle. Whether our business passions involve music, entertainment, real estate, education, or all of the above, we should be able to exercise our full efforts in these passions while still being able to place full emphasis on our ultimate passion, which is quality with friends, family, and other loved ones. NOW THAT is the ideal workday.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Thanks for Thanksgiving ...
They say that Thanksgiving is a time for ... well ... giving thanks. The Mrs. and I went to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with our sunshine state family. Prior to arriving in Al Gore's favorite state, we already had lots to be thankful for. Having left just yesterday, we received a gift that will go a long way towards realizing and fulfilling our dreams. Of course it is always wonderful to spend time with loved ones who you see at most once or twice a year. When these loved ones are living their entrepreneurial dreams and fulfilling their life's passions, then you tend to cherish the experience even more.
My sister is ... in a word or 2 ... an entrepreneurial genius. She has a business mind that won't quit. You name the idea and she can outline a path for how to take that idea from the conceptual stage to a successful business. The same can be said about her husband. To top it off, the both have the work ethic to put many of these ideas into motion. My brother who lives in Florida is also on the cusp of entrepreneurial greatness following the recent release of his motivational book of poetry and other ideas that have been recently set in motion. I give thanks for being in the proximity of all of these great ideas being set in motion. Though I certainly had no doubts about my ability to do the same, it is very motivational to see those that you know and love and have been around your whole life, step out on faith and watch their steps be guided according to the entrepreneurial roadmap that God has laid out for them. Give Thanks ... soon others will say the same about me.
My sister is ... in a word or 2 ... an entrepreneurial genius. She has a business mind that won't quit. You name the idea and she can outline a path for how to take that idea from the conceptual stage to a successful business. The same can be said about her husband. To top it off, the both have the work ethic to put many of these ideas into motion. My brother who lives in Florida is also on the cusp of entrepreneurial greatness following the recent release of his motivational book of poetry and other ideas that have been recently set in motion. I give thanks for being in the proximity of all of these great ideas being set in motion. Though I certainly had no doubts about my ability to do the same, it is very motivational to see those that you know and love and have been around your whole life, step out on faith and watch their steps be guided according to the entrepreneurial roadmap that God has laid out for them. Give Thanks ... soon others will say the same about me.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Quite a Conundrum
Should I stay or should I go ? Regarding my present job situation and the way that I was blatantly devalued and disrespected , then OBVIOUSLY the answer is "I should go". So the better questions are "when should I go ?" and "how long can I grin and bare it ?" and "how long can I get up each day and dread having to interact with the same people that treated me as Judas did Jesus and Brutus did Julius Caesar ?" So why is there any dilemma at all ? I was screwed, THAT'S IT !! Find another job and get on your merry way, right ? While that is certainly an appropriate reaction and I have no doubts about being able to find another J.O.B. within weeks, my present job offers me a lot of added benefits that makes it ideal to sew seeds in other business ventures and set me up for my 2nd act as a full time entrepreneur.
You see, I presently drive about 10 minutes to work, I'm able to go home for lunch, I'm able to go to lunch for 2-3 hours if need be, I don't work long hours, I leave mostly at 5pm, etc. I have a situation that is conducive to not putting all my eggs in one basket in being dependent on a single source of income. I am able to disappear for an hour or 2 to go meet with a prospective client for my media business. I am able to disappear for a while to evaluate properties for my real estate interests. I am able to take some time away to pitch a business plan at potential investors so they can bank roll one of my ideas so that we can put it into action. In a nutshell, my present situation affords me a lot of conveniences that enable me to lay the foundation for building successful business endeavors and not have to depend on an employer for my financial needs. Putting in the effort to go and find another J.O.B. will only take away from time that could be spent on building successful businesses. Also, the expectation levels when starting a new job are different and my work hours would naturally be longer as I try and establish myself in the new environment.
So therein lies the conundrum my friends. Should I leave now because the feeling of staying is just unbareable ? Do I grin and bare it and milk this situation for all its conveniences ? I will continue to pray and to ask for guidance because I waiver back and forth as to what is direction I should go now that I am at this proverbial fork in the road of life. Quoting the ever-quotable Yogi Berra, "when you get to that fork in the road, TAKE IT ...". Now, which way Yogi ? which way ?
You see, I presently drive about 10 minutes to work, I'm able to go home for lunch, I'm able to go to lunch for 2-3 hours if need be, I don't work long hours, I leave mostly at 5pm, etc. I have a situation that is conducive to not putting all my eggs in one basket in being dependent on a single source of income. I am able to disappear for an hour or 2 to go meet with a prospective client for my media business. I am able to disappear for a while to evaluate properties for my real estate interests. I am able to take some time away to pitch a business plan at potential investors so they can bank roll one of my ideas so that we can put it into action. In a nutshell, my present situation affords me a lot of conveniences that enable me to lay the foundation for building successful business endeavors and not have to depend on an employer for my financial needs. Putting in the effort to go and find another J.O.B. will only take away from time that could be spent on building successful businesses. Also, the expectation levels when starting a new job are different and my work hours would naturally be longer as I try and establish myself in the new environment.
So therein lies the conundrum my friends. Should I leave now because the feeling of staying is just unbareable ? Do I grin and bare it and milk this situation for all its conveniences ? I will continue to pray and to ask for guidance because I waiver back and forth as to what is direction I should go now that I am at this proverbial fork in the road of life. Quoting the ever-quotable Yogi Berra, "when you get to that fork in the road, TAKE IT ...". Now, which way Yogi ? which way ?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
September 11th Changed Everything
How many times have you heard the phrase "September 11th changed everything" ? Most times you hear that statement, it is in reference to the horrendous attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. If someone mentioned September 11, 2006, can you think of any life altering event that happened on that day ? Well forgive my self-absorbed thought process but on this day, an event happened in my life that will HOPEFULLY change me for life and all for the better. This event involves no tragedy or loss of life but instead involves an awakening and renewed thought process that came in the form of a BIG OLE F.U. from Corporate America.
So here is the scene, I arrived at work on Monday, September 11, 2006 and went to our routine 10am staff meeting. As is normally the case, I was cheerful and outgoing as that is my normal demeanor. The meeting concludes and my boss asks me and only me to stick around for a chat. An immediate "OH SH*T" look and feel comes over me. The next 10 minutes could have easily been replaced by any scene from "Office Space" or "The Office" which featured a boss feeding a steaming pile of bullsh*t to an employee over some "strategic corporate direction" that was going to result in that employee being bent over. More fortunate than most, I was not dismissed but more so DISRESPECTED by placing a junior level employee who I was previously managing in a management role who would now be ... DRUM ROLE PLEASE .... be managing me !! LOVELY !! Forgot to mention that I was also responsible for aggressively recruiting and pursuading this employee to come and join me at this new company because the environment is great and the work was challenging. Forgot to mention that the executives will look you in the eye, smile and laugh in your face, make you think all is well, and then drop the hammer on you as if they never knew you ... but of course I didn't know that yet. On September 11th, 2006, everything changed for me as far as my outlook on Corporate America and the perils of being a pawn in someone else's organization.
Most of us put in 8,9, 10, 11, 12 ... hours each day working our tails off for the benefit of corporations who give not a rat's rear about us as individuals. Of course that is not their job to care about us as individuals but when events such as what happened to me take place, you realize that the only person you can trust in the workplace is the one you see in the mirror. Most of us have dreams and passions that often involve something not related to what presently pays our bills. Because we must pay our bills, we do not sufficiently channel the energy of our passions to build what could potentially be a world changing business, service, invention, or idea. Therefore, we spend our lives working, paying bills, putting in overtime, working weekends, getting up early, ... while the brilliance of our ideas wallow away into a sea of hopelessness. How badly would it then sting to turn on the TV and see someone on TV raking in millions for the very idea that you have had for years but didn't channel your energy sufficiently because you were putting in all of these hours for a company that ultimately didn't care one iota about you ?
That is the change that September 11, 2006 brought about in me. My company disregarded the fact that I had put in so many long hours for their benefit that they will reap the rewards of for as long as the company exists. They didn't care about me enough as a person to handle the situation differently. No sweat, I will still be a professional and do my job but I will not be going the extra mile (or even 10 yards for that matter) for your benefit because I am ultimately an employee # and a line in an expense budget. The time that I would normally put into going the extra mile for your benefit will now instead be used to sufficiently channel my energy for all these ideas I have had forever but for no good reason, have refused to act upon. The change brought about by my own personal September 11th, will be one that will soon impact all of our lives in a positive way.
- Dub-Wise-Er
So here is the scene, I arrived at work on Monday, September 11, 2006 and went to our routine 10am staff meeting. As is normally the case, I was cheerful and outgoing as that is my normal demeanor. The meeting concludes and my boss asks me and only me to stick around for a chat. An immediate "OH SH*T" look and feel comes over me. The next 10 minutes could have easily been replaced by any scene from "Office Space" or "The Office" which featured a boss feeding a steaming pile of bullsh*t to an employee over some "strategic corporate direction" that was going to result in that employee being bent over. More fortunate than most, I was not dismissed but more so DISRESPECTED by placing a junior level employee who I was previously managing in a management role who would now be ... DRUM ROLE PLEASE .... be managing me !! LOVELY !! Forgot to mention that I was also responsible for aggressively recruiting and pursuading this employee to come and join me at this new company because the environment is great and the work was challenging. Forgot to mention that the executives will look you in the eye, smile and laugh in your face, make you think all is well, and then drop the hammer on you as if they never knew you ... but of course I didn't know that yet. On September 11th, 2006, everything changed for me as far as my outlook on Corporate America and the perils of being a pawn in someone else's organization.
Most of us put in 8,9, 10, 11, 12 ... hours each day working our tails off for the benefit of corporations who give not a rat's rear about us as individuals. Of course that is not their job to care about us as individuals but when events such as what happened to me take place, you realize that the only person you can trust in the workplace is the one you see in the mirror. Most of us have dreams and passions that often involve something not related to what presently pays our bills. Because we must pay our bills, we do not sufficiently channel the energy of our passions to build what could potentially be a world changing business, service, invention, or idea. Therefore, we spend our lives working, paying bills, putting in overtime, working weekends, getting up early, ... while the brilliance of our ideas wallow away into a sea of hopelessness. How badly would it then sting to turn on the TV and see someone on TV raking in millions for the very idea that you have had for years but didn't channel your energy sufficiently because you were putting in all of these hours for a company that ultimately didn't care one iota about you ?
That is the change that September 11, 2006 brought about in me. My company disregarded the fact that I had put in so many long hours for their benefit that they will reap the rewards of for as long as the company exists. They didn't care about me enough as a person to handle the situation differently. No sweat, I will still be a professional and do my job but I will not be going the extra mile (or even 10 yards for that matter) for your benefit because I am ultimately an employee # and a line in an expense budget. The time that I would normally put into going the extra mile for your benefit will now instead be used to sufficiently channel my energy for all these ideas I have had forever but for no good reason, have refused to act upon. The change brought about by my own personal September 11th, will be one that will soon impact all of our lives in a positive way.
- Dub-Wise-Er
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