member for 16 weeks 4 days
Its the 1st of the month, and once again the bills are rolling in. Its a tale as old as money itself - too much outflow, not enough inflow.. yet. But I have faith.
Ten years ago, when I switched the focus of my career from working FOR someone else, to working FOR myself, I didn't feel that way. I panicked at the end of every month when I saw a negative dollar amount in my check book. I freaked out every time someone called me with "your payment is late". I measured the actuality of my success, by money. And ladies, I'm here to tell you, I could have made a million in my first year, and in my own eyes, I still would not have been successful.
When I was talking with our wonderful founder, Freda, yesterday, we both touched on the subject of what we see as success and it was so refreshing to find someone who has the same ideas about that, that I do.
We talked about how so many of the people that are considered geniuses today, were laughed at, mocked and scorned in their own day and in the beginnings of their own adventures - Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, Issac Newton, Edward Graham Bell - everyone thought they were nuts because they had vision, and drive and they could see something greater than a dollar amount and could see beyond the tip of their own noses.
I'm not trying to seem super human - God knows I'm not. I get exhausted, frustrated, angry - at me and the world, and then something happens, and I start to feel good again. It may be something as a simple "thank you" for someone I did a favor for, or an unexpected check, or a client I've been sending "reminders to" about their invoice for several months, finally paying up. OR, it could be finally connecting with someone that just "gets it".
How do I measure my success today? I measure it by how well I sleep at night. Did I do anyone any wrong? Did I gossip? Did I slander anyone? If someone reached out to me and asked for help, did I offer mine with a smile on my face or did I do it begrudgingly thinking "I'll get mine later?"
I may be late with my car payment this month, but I am a success.
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Tell us what you do. My husband and I started a company nearly thirty years ago. Salaries and health insurance weren't enough to give my eldest son the support he needed (special schools, medicine, therapy). The only way was to generate more money, a lot more money. For years, we spent more on him than the mortgage which was frequently late. Also, car payments, telephone bills, etc., etc. Years without a vacation.
It takes some courage. So tell us more. And, congratulations. (Don't you love people who tell you that because you work for yourself, you can take off whenever you want. Small business people work thirty times harder. They're never off.)