How to Grow a Thriving Business

An interesting thing happened to me this morning. I woke up, looked in the mirror, and realized that today was the tomorrow I had alluded to for so many yesterdays. I understood finally that on so many levels and for far too long I had lived a Scarlet O*Hara existence: *I won*t worry about that today; I*ll worry about that tomorrow.*

Sound familiar? Have you ever said, *I*ll clean up the office *tomorrow;* I*ll spend more time with the kids *tomorrow;* I*ll start working out *tomorrow;* I*ll make those calls *tomorrow;* I*ll stop smoking *tomorrow?**

How many tomorrows have come and gone for you and how many things on your list became things to do *soon* instead of *tomorrow?* Do you remember when they went from *soon* to *one day,* to *some day?* If you*re anything like me, it was probably in the blink of an eye.

Shocking, isn*t it, how fast time flies? There are things to do, places to go, people to see. Somehow lots of tomorrows come and go and many of the things on our *to-do* lists (which once seemed so important), fade from our memories, until we wake up one morning and say, *Oops!*

Well, you can*t get back yesterday*s tomorrows, but today*s tomorrow will be here soon, and, as they say, it will be the first day of the rest of your life. You CAN make the best of it, and make better use of all the tomorrows that follow.

How? By taking charge of your life and your career; by taking responsibility for what you want to create, and by staking your claim to the future you deserve to have. It*s time to become clear on the vision you want for yourself and your business, and it*s time to live up to your potential.

We*re only given so much time on our individual journeys; stop letting things get in the way of what you want to contribute, of what you want to accomplish, and what brings out your passion. There is no time like the present to start working on your future.

Being clear on what YOU want to create is the first step. You, not your boss, not your mother, not your spouse, but YOU. What do YOU want, and do you truly want it, or is it something that you think you *should* do?

Do you hate cold calling, but think you *should* do it anyway if you want to make a sale? Why would you want to dig yourself into an unfulfilling rut when you can easily find another way to get the business on YOUR terms?

Have you been given a promotion which will bring you lots more money? Great! But does it mean you have to move 2,500 miles away from your family and friends? Not so great! How important is it for you to have a support system?

If a support important, your decision becomes a no-brainer: don*t take the job! Eliminate the *shoulds* from your life. Look to what is truly important to you, your sanity, and your belief system. Then go for it!

They say that the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago and the second best time is today. If you haven*t accomplished what you had wanted to accomplish by this time in your life, don*t beat yourself up. Let it go and start planning and creating what you want.

There is a wonderful story called *The Daffodil Principle,* written by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards. If you*re not familiar with it, *The Daffodil Principle* concerns a mother who reluctantly accompanies her grown daughter on a trip to see a field of daffodils.

The weather is bad and the mother is strongly opposed to the trip...until she rounds a corner and sees five glorious acres filled with magnificent daffodils in every shade of yellow, pink, and orange imaginable. There were 35 varieties in all, each planted as a group and each group swaying in unison, as they were touched with gentle breezes. It was absolutely breathtaking. When the woman asked her daughter who had planted all the bulbs, the daughter told her that it was just a single woman who lived on the property. They walked up to the woman*s home and saw a sign on the front porch indicating answers to the questions most often asked about the beautiful carpet of flowers growing in the field.

According to the story, the first answer was *50,000 bulbs.*

The next answer was, *one at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain.*

The final answer was, *Began in 1958.*

They call this The Daffodil Principle. It*s quite simple, really, but it*s not at all easy. It takes a vision, some planning, lots of hard work, and most of all, an enormous commitment. Without commitment, we only have dreams, never daffodils.

Bottom Line: It*s never too late to create the awesome future you want. Work diligently and have faith in yourself; you can accomplish whatever you wish...one bulb at a time.

Copyright © Leni Chauvin

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