This is the season for happiness, Santa, for Christians the Celebration of the Birth of Christ and the things that go with the holiday season. We are about to start a New Year and sometimes the best way to start a new is to reflect on the history and ask yourself, did I do everything I could have last year to make it a happy year. If you really want to reflect and evaluate yourself, then maybe you go back further than just the last year and ask yourself the hard questions. Have I set my goals and schedule to bring everything into the proper perspective or will I some day regret what I have done? Am I looking for success in all the wrong places? Am I paying a bigger price than it is all worth? What is success?
At some point in your life you will ask yourself these questions, albeit this year or some year in the future. All too many of us, self included, judge ourselves in a monetary sense. The more we make the more we are successful. There is a saying that money doesn’t make you happy and believe me it is true. I look back at my past and know that I would trade all the stocks I own for seeing my two daughters first steps or their first words, or hear "Daddy I love" a few more times, when they couldn't pronounce the words. However, I was on a quest for success. I traveled all over the US and was home on weekends to give them my love but it was what I missed that means so much to me today. I will never be able to get that back, no matter how successful I was or regardless what my checking account looks like today. My intentions were noble but the price that I paid for this is something that I pay for each day. It is lost revenue. There is no second chance, do it right the first time.
This is a tough business and you are on call 24/7 and it is up to you to put into that schedule, your family. You also have to schedule off time for yourself. If you have a few less dollars at the end but have years of memories that don’t relate just to business they will be the memories you cherish and they can not be purchased, regardless of how much money you possess.
So, when you start 2008, remember the order of importance, Family is first and the rest of the world is after them. I might add that I have a great relationship with both my daughters but I missed their childhood. I hope you don’t make the same mistake as I.
I wish you and your family the happiest during this Holiday season and for the rest of time. 2008 will be a great year and we will all see productive numbers without giving up more than we should.
Carey will receive a 25% raise and promised to forward 3% for putting that in here. JK