Three years ago, my husband Steve and I bought a new house for our treasured family that includes our son Kyle and our golden retriever Shadow. Some would say that the timing was bad, and they would be right. Have the last three years been a challenge for us? You bet. But there is a beautiful silver lining that makes the journey so worthwhile.
It was a BIG leap to make the commitment to buy a new house. Once we stepped forward, there was no turning back. We had no Plan B. We made the commitment. We moved. And we did everything we could to navigate the demanding economy to serve our clients, earn enough money to pay the higher mortgage, and make our new house a home. This was no small feat, given the demands of the Great Recession.
Had we stayed in the other house, it would have been so much easier. We could have hidden out until the dust of the rocky economy cleared. We could have enjoyed more leisure time. We could have marched in place with a whole lot less worry and wonder.
But here’s the thing. Where I live is important to me. Living and working in a space that inspires me to be my best has compelled me to reach higher, go deeper, and find even more satisfying ways to contribute to my clients, bring rewards to them and to me through my work, and build a business that makes me and my family proud. All the reinventing over the last three years has been challenging to my growth as a business owner and in every other way. And that is an understatement to be quite candid with you. When I see photos of me and my son from our move-in date to yesterday — which was our three-year anniversary of moving in — the growth is unmistakable.
Reaching higher — or growing taller as the case may be — requires a great deal of care and feeding. We are all growing in ways that are obvious, subtle, and game-changing if we dare to think bigger for what is possible for our lives and work. Today I can say that I am a great deal happier than I was three years ago, and that is the most priceless reward for having made the move.
Taking a big leap, making a commitment, doing the work, and staying with it have paid off. These are the kinds of lessons my husband Steve and I model for our son, and he’s growing into a fine young man so far. And day by day we are each creating and growing businesses that make us proud. On this Independence Day weekend, that gives us even more reason to celebrate.
