View from the Summit

Competing in sales competitions during school was without question a catalyst for me in pursuing my love for business. I had a few early victories that afforded me an opportunity at the next event. Then, all of a sudden it became a game. I was sucked into the never-ending vortex of competing.

I was never competitive in sports, but sales had rung the entrepreneurial bell. Discovering what worked, and what didn't, as I went from competition to competition was very intriguing to me to say the least.

Several years ago Robin and I went on an Eastern Caribbean Cruise. After a week of pure luxury & relaxation, we elected to speed an additional week in the beautiful South Beach area of Miami.

The hotel was beautiful, the food was superb and the company, my wife, was the best. And then, oh man….. and then, the trouble started.

As we walked down the busy shopping district, adjacent to the gorgeous coastal waters, my day was shot immediately. In a nanosecond, in the blink of an eye, my day was shot.

 As a leader of my family I think about the awesome responsibilities that are before me on a daily basis. I'm the sole provider financially and that alone is a mammoth undertaking. Do you ever feel the weight of all the tasks before you? 

Do you give much thought to not only the financial responsibilities, but the relational and emotional leadership that you are providing? It is an absolute privilege to be the man of the family, the patriarch. I think about all the gifts that have been bestowed on me, like my wife, daughters and grandchildren. 

Ask the Secret Service how effective fences are? Maybe a locked front door would have helped, or would it?

Seeing a boundary, such as a fence or checking the front door by a passerby to reveal open or closed is a normal occurrence. When we gain unlawful entry into posted areas or cross fences that are clearly marked we have violated others privacy.