My recent trip to Kenya was a great example of the power of people. In September my boys and I went on an African Safari in Kenya. Some very key people made our trip extra special..

Are you starting a business or revitalizing an existing one? Think of the newly hatched sea turtle. The egg is buried in the sand on the sea shore, far enough away from the ocean to be safe from the tide. Once it’s time the turtle emerges from the shell, amidst the many other baby turtles, and makes a run for its life to the ocean. Only 1 out of 1000 sea turtle hatchlings makes it to adulthood.

When frustration sets in it’s a good time for me to take a step back. To stop, take a deep breath and look around. Stop and feel the sun shine, listen to the rain drops, watch for the friendly smile or ask for a hug from a loved one. My frustration usually comes from trying to force a solution or find the answer that I want. In general, my life isn’t going my way.

RING, RING… I picked up the phone. “Mary, we can barely pay the bills. We haven’t gotten paid in three months. We have worked so hard and invested all our money into this business. We need to find a way out – will you work with us?” Panic was in their voice. The business owners were watching their life savings drain away.

Go for the gold! Finish Big! Both are great clichés to live by. Putting yourself out there, taking a risk, fighting the fear and seeing what you can accomplish. When Nike came out with the slogan “just do it” I took it as my tag line. I love to plan and organize. I love to make lists. The action part is my challenge. So “just do it” has expanded my life experiences.

Financial security is important for today and tomorrow. Living our life is dependent upon money. It may be your money or someone else’s. We need it to meet our basic needs such as food and shelter. However we can do so much more than just meet our basic needs. Do you dream of financial freedom? To live the lifestyle you desire? How close are you to your dream? To find out start with creating your own personal financial statement.

This Fourth of July I lounged in my backyard and took some well needed down time. I sank into my Adirondack chair, soaked up the warm air, had a large glass of ice tea and settled in to read a good book. My goal was to get lost in a book and savor the day. Summer in Wisconsin is so very precious; actually every single day is precious.

As I ventured into the work world my primary focus was to earn an income. I wanted to go to college and needed to find a way to pay for it. I looked for something that I could do, hopefully enjoy doing it. I wanted job that paid fairly well – college is expensive and I was paying for it by myself. As the years have gone by, my needs have changed. Now that my basic needs have been fulfilled I can reach out with greater expectations for the job that I have.

In my world February, March and the first part of April feels like a race – a 75 day race. There is a constant push for more. The adrenaline is flowing. Other responsibilities get pushed aside. The pressure is always present. I am always looking out for something – do we have all the information, is the software working, is there bad news we need to tell the client about? The work seems to keep piling up. I know the end will come, but in what condition will I be in? Every year is different. I have been running this race the last 30 years or so. Some are good and others could have gone better.

Many start their own business to take control of their life or to get away from someone’s control. Many do it for freedom to live under their rules. Ideally having your own business is a great opportunity to live your dream. In my experience the challenge is defining the dream, your dream.