So if you’re following along, we’re on Day 2 of Natalie Sisson’s 30 Day Blog Challenge, during which she’s going to help us develop a blueprint for building a successful online business which will make it possible to live the life of your dreams! Today’s question is “If you woke up tomorrow and were free to do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do and who would you be?”This is your chance to set your fears aside, and embrace your wild side, start scribbling out ideas on a pad of paper, and just let it out. I’ll tell you a secret, there are no barriers in life beyond the ones which we create in our minds, so don’t be shy, nobody is looking!
All right, let’s be crazy…
A few years ago, I got it in my head that I no longer wanted to be tied down to one place, I no longer wanted to have to manage physical inventory, spend all day grading diamonds, building diamond detail pages to sell them online, pack them, etc., because what I really wanted to do was spend my days helping people develop strategies for improving their lives and relationships, and scuba diving in clear, warm waters…
To be honest, it all started when I read The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris. I began to imagine what it would be like to have the freedom that a four hour work week would provide, but I couldn’t imagine how I could possibly convert my Click & Mortar Diamond Business, into a model which would sustain the lifestyle that I dreamed about.
The reality is that while I owned my own business, I was still tied down to a desk by a ball and chain, the only difference is that I had the keys to the lock in my pocket.
But you know that old trick about how you can train an elephant not to run away, if you tie it to a stick in the ground with a piece of string when it is little?
Well… I had been trained young, by well-meaning entrepreneurial parents, that “being successful” meant owning your own business, which if you worked at real hard, all the time, would provide you with a comfortable lifestyle.
Yea, so if you asked me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I was programmed to say things like “when I’m older, I’m going to own my own business” and since I grew up in California’s Silicon Valley, in the shadow of world renown entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, I was convinced that I was going to retire a multi-millionaire by the time I was 40.
Needless to say, life didn’t quite work out like I expected, and after losing a daughter to a bone marrow disease in 2004, and my wife to suicide in 2005, all I really wanted to do was sit on a beach and watch the waves roll in and out… but I had a business to run, I can’t even begin to tell you how trapped I felt by all the freedom which came from owning my own business!
The Law of Attraction:
There is another common phrase that I remember from my childhood, it was the concept of “ask and you shall receive” that is commonly referred to from the Bible. Perhaps you’ve heard it a time or two, but have you ever fully embraced the concept? This is essentially what Natalie is asking you to do, take a moment to ask the universe for everything that you’ve ever wanted, for the lifestyle of your dreams!
What’s on my list? It’s changed a lot over the years, I’ve grown tired of big houses, fast cars, boats, and other toys, these days, all I want is the time to enjoy life with somebody who I love very much, and the freedom to travel, and live in exotic places, where I can scuba dive, learn to surf, and look for sea shells on the beach.
Oh and did I mention the beach house? Yea, once I’ve traveled around for awhile, and discovered the lone stretch of undeveloped beach where I want to live, I want to be able to buy a nice stretch of beach and build a nice house on it.
Think it’s impossible? I’m here to tell you that it is possible… I’ve spent the past year learning how to convert my click and mortar business, into a blog format which is completely sustainable without a physical location, I’m no longer tied down to anything.
And I’m not saying this to brag, definitely not… I’m sharing this with you because two years ago, I didn’t think that it was possible, it was a freaking pipe dream! And you’re probably thinking the same thing right now, and that’s cool, because I can completely relate… but I promise you that it is possible, and the first step is taking the time to sit down and figure out what you really want from life.
Now I’m fortunate that my three children are grown and out on their own, but I know people who have developed successful online businesses, which enable them to travel the world with their family, and provide them with a level of education which is impossible to obtain through traditional methods… so don’t let that excuse get in your way.
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