Family Business

"You've got to take care of the family"

• Bob Gottdener
  

Family Business

I don't get to see my friend Bob Gottdener very often; sometimes just once per year. But I always look forward to it. He has a wonderful sense of humor and a zest for life that's rarely matched. So, when I saw him again this week I was glad to see he hadn't changed one bit.

Bob's been a successful financial advisor for many years and lots of companies have relied on his advice as they've strived to go from start-up to rapid growth. I've also relied on his advice for many years and this day was no different.

After spending the day critiquing the funding request presentations of a number of early stage companies, Bob and I were able to get together at an evening reception. It was there that we spent some time talking together. Since I have great respect for Bob and what he's been able to accomplish, I always listen to what he says very carefully.

As we stood over to one side of the room talking, our conversation was mostly about investments and investment strategy. But, all of a sudden Bob looked at me with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye and said to me, "After all, you've got to take care of your family." That small statement was truly the gem of our conversation.

It made me look inside of myself and take note of the real reason I work and invest. It isn't for the money per se. It's about taking care of my family! I go out each day with one thing in mind, and that's the most important thing; looking out for the people I love. As long as I keep that in mind, I can go out and face insurmountable odds and take on the world. It keeps me going.

Now that Bob has passed his wisdom to me, I pass it to you so you'll keep your loved ones at the front of your mind as you go out each day. If you will, you'll soon find a new bounce to your step and a whistle in your heart. So, go out there today and do it for the ones you love!

Seeing Potential

"We can look past this and see the potential."

• Tiffany Krebs
  

See the Potential Around You

We were walking through a house in the country to see if it would meet the needs of the Krebs family. The warmth of the house was welcoming since it was a cold foggy day outside. Still, it was hard to go inside since it was so enchanting outside. This house was surrounded by eight-hundred apple trees and today they were covered in frost. It was like walking through a crystal forest as we approached.

We walked up the stairs of the front porch and stopped to take in the view before we stepped through the door. Once through the door we began to walk through the house room by room. It was then that I began to see things differently.

As I looked though the house I could see lots of things that could be improved. But I could tell that Tiffany could see more. I began to listen to her as she talked about each room and used the word potential over and over again. Then, toward the end of our tour she changed the word potential to "perfect" and she said, "This is what we've been looking for!

What 's interesting to me is that I've been inside of Tiffany's current home and it's simply beautiful! She has a talent for design and decorating that is rarely matched. So I was a little confused. But then I watched Tiffany looking at the kitchen just before we were getting ready to end our tour. I saw her eyes as they scanned her surroundings. They had a look that went beyond what was in front of her. Her view extended through, to the future.

She could see the house for what it could become and she was in the process of creating her new home. It was then revealed to me that she already owns everything she needs inside her head. She has the ability to transform the present into the future she wants.

By watching Tiffany work I've been able to discover the secrets of her creative process. First, she begins to make a mental list of what she wants. Second, she takes the time to think through each item in great detail. Then she goes out into the physical world and looks for what matches her vision. What I've found is that her vision allows her to see the physical world as it could be, not as it is today!

You can use the same process in your life now. If you'll give it a try and practice, you'll soon begin to have the same experience and you'll begin to see the world in a different way. Some people would have gone with me to see the same house and would have seen a dark and dreary day rather than a cute house surrounded by a crystal forest! I hope you'll begin to see the world of potential around you. If you will, I know you'll begin to look at things and use the word "perfect" a lot; even when you look in the mirror.

Accomplishing the Impossible

"There was but one mainspring to all our thoughts and actions."

• Lucy Smith
  

Accomplishing the Impossible

I was talking with a close friend this week and listened as she described her plight. "I think I should be feeling good about my business, but I'm not!"

I sat listening and heard between the lines, "I'm too weak in faith, and too poor in purse, to attempt such a mighty enterprise."

Yes. I could relate to these words and feelings so I recognized her thoughts as familiar. There have been times when I myself have felt too weak in my faith about my own future. It's a frightening and lonely place to be within one's own mind. I've even termed a phrase for the resultant physical symptoms such circumstance creates, "Cash Flow Chest."

But, now after many years of life I know that the real cause of the physical symptoms comes from the mind. And, I know that being too weak in faith results in a more debilitating symptom; a change in thought that leads to inaction. This makes everything in life seem out-of-reach and impossible. It's kind of like being transported to the middle of a desert without any tools and without any hope.

I like this analogy of a desert because it also brings to mind the concept of a mirage. I'm sure you've seen one, at least while driving, when it appears as if there is water way out in the distance. It's the same thing in this case except that the mirage is the false belief that there is no hope.

The truth is that there is hope if you'll remember the rules of "Five Horsemen" riding a horse of fire, with a flaming sword in hand. First, you must have a burning desire for something. You know what that means. You have to discover what it is that puts a "fire in your belly." This may take some time for discovery, but you must do it. It's the first key to conquering the impossible.

Second, you must burn a commitment into your soul to live your life in pursuit of your discovered purpose. Commitment looks like this: You continue day after day, determined to complete the job.

Third, when your commitment is waning and you feel too weak to continue on, you must warm yourself from the fire in your belly and return again to work.

Fourth, declare your purpose and commitment to your family and a circle of close friends so as to illuminate your path to success by the flames of your desire.

Fifth, give thanks and feel the warm glow of your success along your journey's path. I can't express this better that Oliver B. Huntington as he described reaching his journey's destination, "O, what joy again came over every one of us as we came in sight of [our goal]. . . [we were no longer] trudging along in a confused flock."

Freedom to Change

"Remind me Honey, to let people move beyond who they were in High School."

• Dwight Clark
  

Freedom to Change

You've heard the saying, "When one door closes, another one opens." It's an expression used by many to give words of hope and facilitation to changing circumstances. I used to think I knew the whole meaning of this saying, but have recently discovered another meaning.

You know that a door is a separator. It's used to keep something in or to keep something out. But I've been thinking of automatic doors as of late. Perhaps it's because of the weather.

When I'm driving home during a storm I feel real comfort when I pull into the driveway and see my garage door opening to receive me after the touch of a button. The door has kept the snow and wind out of the garage until I arrive, so that when I drive into the chamber and it closes once again, its cocoon shields me from the external environment. This only occurs smoothly if there's no obstruction and the thing is: I have two dogs.

Sometimes I drive into the garage and push the button to close the door when it stops in mid-close and opens again. Most of the time I don't know the exact cause of this event until I hear the door correct its course and look into a side mirror to see the tip of a wagging tail headed toward my car door. It's then that I know one of my dogs has tripped the door's obstruction sensor.

If the obstruction isn't removed, the door will never close and instead of being a cocoon of safety, the garage becomes just like the environment outside. It's no longer set apart. Keeping the door obstruction free and allowing it to close is really important.

So, when my friend Dwight Clark told me about his experience of running into an old high school acquaintance I was really struck with his tale. He hadn't seen this person in many years so in his mind this guy was forever seventeen and the same. His view of this man was not a positive one so when his acquaintance was renewed, he was shocked at the stature of the "New Man." It was at that point that Dwight had a choice to make.

He could become an obstruction to this man's teenaged door closing, or he could allow that door to close and a New Man door to open. Happily, Dwight made the right choice and demonstrated it as he said to his wife upon leaving, "Remind me Honey, to let people move beyond who they were in High School."

It's impossible for you, and others, to move forward in life if you don't allow doors to close and open. So, begin today to push that automatic door button held within your mind. And, when an obstruction comes wagging its tail, simply wait for it to clear and then push the button again so you can close that door and allow another one to open.