Inspiration

[Steve]

What do you do to inspire yourself? How do you keep your energy up to run your business each day?

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Originally Posted by Steve What do you do to inspire yourself? How do you keep your energy up to run your business each day? If you do something you enjoy, you already have your inspiration. I have enjoyed lawn work and landscaping formost of my life. I have always had the best lawn on the block and many people said I should do it for a living. I don't deal with problems, I enjoy solving them. I don't see how it is, I see how it could be! If I gt frustrated, I work out. If I get lonely, I go to a friends. I keep active. Steve

[Steve]

In another thread we were talking about something similar and the question I had on all this is how does a person go about finding something they will like or something they would be passionate about?

It seems to me if I ask around the average person, they don't have many interests and if they don't have many interests they probably won't be passionate about anything.

Do you find this to be the case too? How can someone in that situation find something, anything to enjoy?

[Steve]

Oh and here is some advice on how to inspire yourself and improve what ever it is you are interested in improving by comic Jerry Sienfeld. Let me know what you think of it.

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Originally Posted by Steve

In another thread we were talking about something similar and the question I had on all this is how does a person go about finding something they will like or something they would be passionate about?

It seems to me if I ask around the average person, they don't have many interests and if they don't have many interests they probably won't be passionate about anything.

Do you find this to be the case too? How can someone in that situation find something, anything to enjoy?

They probably don't realize what they have! They don't know themselves! It could be as simple as, they are so comfortable with their passion it is second nature to them.

A friend of mine from high school was always in the woods. He enjoyed hiking, hunting, fishing, etc. After high school he went to college for accounting and worked as an accountant for about 5 years hating it. He is now a retired forest ranger. While an accountant, he got married, divorced, and was so unhappy he almost ended it all. Then he started woodsing it again until a ranger told him that he spent so much time hiking that he should get paid for it.

He became a ranger, remarried his ex and was happy with his life again.

I guess you could say, "He couldn't see the forest through the trees".

I think everyone has a passion, sometimes, it just has to hit them over the head.

Steve

[Steve]

That is very interesting!

Do you find that others come to you and ask you questions on how they can get going with their own business? Do you find that you are an inspiration to others to do it?

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Originally Posted by Steve

That is very interesting!

Do you find that others come to you and ask you questions on how they can get going with their own business? Do you find that you are an inspiration to others to do it?

I come from an entrepreneurial family. My father introduced Tasty Freeze rast of the Mississippi in the early 1950's. Got them established ( had 5) and then sold them off (One to an uncle, the rest to associates). He then established an amusement park with 14 rides. He used the rides not as "the business" but as a means to establish the profitable business! All summer long he ran company picnics, clambakes, and the like. He used the rides as a draw for the companies. "Keep the children occupied while their parents could enjoy themselves. After 5 years of this, he bought the concession at a Ski resort. A summr and a Winter business.

He was always "Investing" in something new. I say investing because he bought other business entities with his businesses. He had a CPA to do his finances and payed himself a salary. The same every week with 2 bonuses a year. One for a vacation and the other for Christmas. My uncle bought the concession business and the owner of the Ski Resort bought the amusement business and he bought three Lum's Restaurant franchises which he had until his death.

As for people coming to me for advise; not really. Not many that were serious anyway. A son in law that already "knew" everything about business - who went out of business in about 3 months and a few others. All had big ideas but no willingness to work at it. Don't do anything you can hire someone else to do. People who wouldn't think of working to establish a business before getting someone to yhelp grow the business.

All but one. My oldest son. But, he had been going on 40 ever since he was 12. He now has a heating and AC company doing well. For six years now he has been doing the work and has a CPA to do the financial end. Gives himself a salary and a few bonuses and grows his business. By growing, I mean a retirement plan, medical insurance, and investments.

Yes, people ask me questions, but the majority never get past the asking stage.

Steve

[Steve]

WOW! Out of all the businesses you or your family have been involved with, which one(s) did you like the most or least and why?

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Originally Posted by Steve

WOW! Out of all the businesses you or your family have been involved with, which one(s) did you like the most or least and why?

I liked the qmusement park and the Ski Resort the best as I was a teenager. The girls were my goal. The problem was that I was a teenager and I was so much in love with love that there were no room for actual love.

It wasn't until I acme back from Nam ater being shot twice and met a nurse that I hnew what love actually was! Life is a growing experience. At that point, my values changed. I married her. Three years later she died from cancer. Two years later, I met another girl (woman), also a nurse who saw me through another episode at the Bethesda Navy hospital. She stood by me for another 15 years in the Navy and gave me 5 kids.

I grew up and was able to utilize all my previous life experiences. In the Navy I spent 6 years as a Seal, six yers as an instructor at Quantico and then support for the Coat Guard and the Customs. After I retired I went to Customes and then to Homeland Security.

After retiring from the Navy I sed the Government to get a better education. Before enlisting, I spent 1 year in college. I ended up with a Masters and tried teaching. I couldn't take being how and what to teach even though it was a lie. The degree aided in the coast Guardf and Custome and then Homeland Ssecurity.

So what dis I like the most and least? Now, I have no Idea! All made me grow as a person. Now, I really enjoy solving problems. My wife saus. "I dont deal with problems or threats, I eliminate them".

I've said more here than I have ever said to anyone who hasn't benn there!

Steve

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I have been calibrating My 15 grand child ( the first boy) and have celebrating.

Excuse my rambling.

Steve