Posted: 7th November 2016
I can vividly remember my first meeting with a business mentor prior to setting up in business back in 2004. He assured me that things would never be the same again, where life would become a succession of highs & lows & the days of middle pegging it would be over. I looked outside to where I could see his gleaming red sports car sitting proud within the car park and thought that’s the life for me. Not necessarily the flash car as I’m still making do with my people carrier, (you can’t get too many children in a Porsche on a day out). I was leaving a career in the public sector and, whilst unfortunately there is never a shortage of people committing crime, it did provide me with a steady income each month. I was now charting a life of adventure & self determination that was full of excitement.
That initial meeting has always played on my mind because, boy he was right. It is exactly those highs in business life that make it all seem worthwhile. That long sought after sale that eventually comes in, the unexpected thank you from a member of staff, that gesture from a happy client and of course that warm glow from a healthy bank balance that buoys you up. The highs are spectacular, life-affirming, filling you will joy & ambition to achieve more. But the lows are something else. Often these can be things out of your control, unexpected issues that come rushing into your life at a breathless pace that make you question what it is all about. Whilst you duly dust yourself off, plan a new strategy, take a new direction, draw on savings & even have a lucky dip on the lottery, it is resilience that is key to survival.
Whilst I’m at one of those crossroads now having been dealt an unexpected hand, I can safely say that the journey thus far has been thrilling. For someone who spends her time at theme parks, it is perhaps not surprising that a rollercoaster comes to mind as I begin chart my own personal odyssey forward.
Liz Walsh writes for Topdogdays that provided information on days out on a budget. You’ll find Liz Walsh either searching out new places to visit or swimming laps in the pool.