To have a better tomorrow than today get a very vivid picture of exactly what you want. For me the determining factor to make the do or die decision was 911. It was my "breakthrough" so to speak.
So were were you when the World Stopped Turning?
I gotta tell ya... There is nothing like a life changing event like 911 for us to see the world in a different light. I was about a mile from the pentagon when it was hit. I could hear it, smell the burning, and see the smoke. It was the events that took place for the next week and 1/2 that made me realize I could change this situation and NEVER be put in that situation again... I could choose to have a BETTER tomorrow than today.
A few years before I made the decision to change my future. I had started my own business and looked forward to the day when I could work from home and be my own boss. I wanted to spend more time with my family on our farm. Even though my job was requiring more time and travel I had gotten comfortable with the routine.
I worked for a national non-profit organization who helped people with limited income get training and employment. My position was Kansas State Director. We had held a contest for Kansas's outstanding older worker and was accompanying her to DC to be honored with a week long celebration along with all the other state winners. I can still remember when I picked up our KS OOW (outstanding older worker) her sister telling me please bring my sis back home safe. At the time I didn't think much of it. This lady had very limited travel experience in the last several years. Out flight into DC was smooth, we checked into our hotel and other than needing to explain how motels don't use room key's anymore and helping her access her room with a card she was accommodating.
The morning of 911 as I called her room to set a time to pick her up for breakfast I watched as the planes hit the twin towers. There was talk about it in the hallways and elevator, but we didn't really pay much attention till we were eating breakfast and heard the noise, smelled and saw the smoke. On our way back from breakfast we stopped to register for the weeks activities and then it HIT me. Our country was under attack! This wasn't an accident and the noise was another plane crashing into the pentagon!
We were told to go back to our hotel room and wait until the organizers of the event could decide what to do. The hotel rooms were all of a sudden VERY uncomfortable with police helicopters circling right outside the window. We were told limit our cell phone usage so it wouldn't clog the circuits for the emergency crews. One of the first thoughts that hit me when I actually realized what was going on around me was the "sisters words" to me. "Be sure to bring her back safe"
It was that moment that I knew it was time to go into "fight or flight mode".. I immediately started seeing what I could arrange to get us out of DC. The roads were blocked so no one could enter the city. Our only choice was to get a taxi out past the road blocks and arrange transportation from outside the city limits. It was an long eerie ride down to Virgina Beach that day. I can remember my son Matt (who was stationed there in the Navy) picking me up about 10 PM that evening.. I was never so glad to see him as I was that night.
For the next week I put together a makeshift office in his living room and made it my JOB to find us transportation back to KS. It took a week for us to secure a rental car for our long journey home. I had flown all over the US but I had never attempted to drive across country before. We had no choice. I had huge concerns bringing along an 88 yr old passenger... again I had no other options. It's amazing the accomplishments we make when we have no other options. We stopped every 2 hours and walked around the cars at least 5 times, I didn't want her circulation to stop. Every 4 hours we stopped at a sit down restaurant generally Cracker Barrel. We avoided the cities when possible and kept a close eye on the map.
When we pulled into KCI airport to pick up my car it became very real again to me our life as we left it in KS was very different now. My car was barricaded in the parking lot alone.. again I had this eerie feeling come over me. It was like an act of congress to get out of the airport that day, and I remember telling myself I'm not coming back here!
It seemed like an eternity to get the last 100 miles to drop off my passenger safely at her sisters house. It was such a relief when she was delivered home safe. The last 2 hours home seemed like a breeze, like I had the world in my hands. It was the last 2 hour stint though I had time to reflect back at the last week and made the decision no matter what I wouldn't let something like this happen to me again.
I truly believe everything happens for a reason and for me this reason was to have a breakthrough moment to move ahead with my business and become my own boss.
Our life is exactly as we have created it. To have a better tomorrow you must start dreaming first of what you really want. I've spoke to folks and they will tell me what they really want is more money. Really now it's not the money itself you want it the stuff money will bring you. For some folks they would really just want to spend more time with their family or do more for their family, and that's a good "why" but you must take it one step further than this -- you must focus in on an exact target to achieve it.
We can talk more about finding your "WHY" if you would like. Connect with me.
I gotta tell ya... There is nothing like a life changing event like 911 for us to see the world in a different light. I was about a mile from the pentagon when it was hit. I could hear it, smell the burning, and see the smoke. It was the events that took place for the next week and 1/2 that made me realize I could change this situation and NEVER be put in that situation again... I could choose to have a BETTER tomorrow than today.
A few years before I made the decision to change my future. I had started my own business and looked forward to the day when I could work from home and be my own boss. I wanted to spend more time with my family on our farm. Even though my job was requiring more time and travel I had gotten comfortable with the routine.
I worked for a national non-profit organization who helped people with limited income get training and employment. My position was Kansas State Director. We had held a contest for Kansas's outstanding older worker and was accompanying her to DC to be honored with a week long celebration along with all the other state winners. I can still remember when I picked up our KS OOW (outstanding older worker) her sister telling me please bring my sis back home safe. At the time I didn't think much of it. This lady had very limited travel experience in the last several years. Out flight into DC was smooth, we checked into our hotel and other than needing to explain how motels don't use room key's anymore and helping her access her room with a card she was accommodating.
The morning of 911 as I called her room to set a time to pick her up for breakfast I watched as the planes hit the twin towers. There was talk about it in the hallways and elevator, but we didn't really pay much attention till we were eating breakfast and heard the noise, smelled and saw the smoke. On our way back from breakfast we stopped to register for the weeks activities and then it HIT me. Our country was under attack! This wasn't an accident and the noise was another plane crashing into the pentagon!
We were told to go back to our hotel room and wait until the organizers of the event could decide what to do. The hotel rooms were all of a sudden VERY uncomfortable with police helicopters circling right outside the window. We were told limit our cell phone usage so it wouldn't clog the circuits for the emergency crews. One of the first thoughts that hit me when I actually realized what was going on around me was the "sisters words" to me. "Be sure to bring her back safe"
It was that moment that I knew it was time to go into "fight or flight mode".. I immediately started seeing what I could arrange to get us out of DC. The roads were blocked so no one could enter the city. Our only choice was to get a taxi out past the road blocks and arrange transportation from outside the city limits. It was an long eerie ride down to Virgina Beach that day. I can remember my son Matt (who was stationed there in the Navy) picking me up about 10 PM that evening.. I was never so glad to see him as I was that night.
For the next week I put together a makeshift office in his living room and made it my JOB to find us transportation back to KS. It took a week for us to secure a rental car for our long journey home. I had flown all over the US but I had never attempted to drive across country before. We had no choice. I had huge concerns bringing along an 88 yr old passenger... again I had no other options. It's amazing the accomplishments we make when we have no other options. We stopped every 2 hours and walked around the cars at least 5 times, I didn't want her circulation to stop. Every 4 hours we stopped at a sit down restaurant generally Cracker Barrel. We avoided the cities when possible and kept a close eye on the map.
When we pulled into KCI airport to pick up my car it became very real again to me our life as we left it in KS was very different now. My car was barricaded in the parking lot alone.. again I had this eerie feeling come over me. It was like an act of congress to get out of the airport that day, and I remember telling myself I'm not coming back here!
It seemed like an eternity to get the last 100 miles to drop off my passenger safely at her sisters house. It was such a relief when she was delivered home safe. The last 2 hours home seemed like a breeze, like I had the world in my hands. It was the last 2 hour stint though I had time to reflect back at the last week and made the decision no matter what I wouldn't let something like this happen to me again.
I truly believe everything happens for a reason and for me this reason was to have a breakthrough moment to move ahead with my business and become my own boss.
Our life is exactly as we have created it. To have a better tomorrow you must start dreaming first of what you really want. I've spoke to folks and they will tell me what they really want is more money. Really now it's not the money itself you want it the stuff money will bring you. For some folks they would really just want to spend more time with their family or do more for their family, and that's a good "why" but you must take it one step further than this -- you must focus in on an exact target to achieve it.
We can talk more about finding your "WHY" if you would like. Connect with me.
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