Sometimes, we get too used to things as the way they are. And we don’t try new things. We get too crystallized in the everydayness of the world.
It’s a blessing. But, at the same time, once in awhile we are always searching for that jolt of newness. That spirit of novelty, which helps us think outside the box and try new things.
When I first joined my dad’s business, I was bursting with life and thinking about all the possibilities that we could draw upon. I was thinking how it was going to be simple to make money. To become a full-throated millionaire.
I was making budgets on how much money we’d make in five years. Ten years. And on. As if it were easy and predictable. But, now, after 8 years on the job. I’ve crystallized into my role.
I understand now that making money is not as easy as it seems. And it’s easy to think about making money, but it’s hard to put things into action. Business is not easy. And I guess that’s the way it should be.
So, currently, I’m feeling fairly comfortable in my role in the family business. To be the sales manager, and to make sure that our customers are in good hands. But that sense of familiarity has come at the price of newness.
I feel myself settling into thinking that this is all the business is good for. That this is the way things should be. And that is fine. But, it comes at the expense of searching for new answers. Searching for new business opportunities. And expanding the business at an extraordinary pace.
These 8 years on the job, the business has grown quite successfully. However, there is still a ways to go. And it’s my responsibility to not let that feeling of freshness go away from the job.
There needs to be that lingering feeling of electricity in working. The opportunity to dream big in a small business. The feeling that the sky’s the limit for my family company.
After all, it’s a small business. I can work whenever I want, wherever I want. And for the most part do what I please. The least I can do is jolt myself into the action of dreaming big. And to want more for the company.
I know that I’ve written before about not needing to aim so high and to want more and more. But, sometimes, I feel like I can go against my own advice. Sometimes, when you aim high and don’t reach your goal, you still end up in a fairly good position.
A famous person once said, that if you shoot for the moon and miss, you will still be amongst the stars. And that sounds like a fairly good place to be.
So, where am I now currently in the family business. Am I already amongst the stars? Is there still a way to go before that level occurs? It doesn’t really matter.
What matters is that I continue to do things that jolt myself into novel thinking. Not settling for the ordinary and the mundane. To continue to dream and to reach for new heights. To think of new opportunities in this vibrant business marketplace.
To go for more and more and more. Yes, I said it. Because I feel like that’s the primary way to maintain my business. To keep it from growing stale and ordinary. The opportunities are there. And there are a wealth of them. It just takes some perspective to truly see them in the right light.
To appreciate the platform that I’ve been given in the family business. It’s a rare opportunity, to not be working in a typical 9 to 5 job. And it should be something that I appreciate more often. The real fun is in that jolt of electricity that runs through your spine, realizing that you are working in an environment with a lot of freedom and creativity.
It’s something to cherish. And it’s something that I need to appreciate for the most part. So, what can I do to find that jolt of electricity continuously? To not get satisfied with the mundane?
Well, keep on dreaming. Don’t lose that action. Continue to tap into the well. And it’s a sustainable well that revitalizes and replenishes. So don’t be afraid to continue tapping.
Whenever you guys are feeling stale - whether it be in a relationship, in a career, or just an ordinary day on the job - think of that happy place that jolts you back from complacency and into the exciting realm of adventure. Of dreaming big. Of wanting more. Of trying new adventures.
That’s what makes life worth talking about. It’s something that we all have in our bones. And it’s something that we can all tap into to make life that much more fulfilling and exciting.