Why I am Thankful I am an Entrepreneur!

I've had life circumstances that have challenged me emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I get it. I have learned that it is not what happens to us in life or the circumstances we find ourselves in, but it is all about our response. Our response determines and sets the course for the results we have in our life.

Have you ever felt that if you just had more stamina or more focus, you could take the world by its tail? Or felt that there must be more to life than the one you are living, but seem to just be existing in?

I believe God created you and I for a purpose and in order to fulfill that lifes purpose, we get to choose through our daily habits and our daily choices what that will look like. It begins with an awareness of where we are at currently and where we want to go. It is about being real and honest. I am on this journey myself and am passionate about coming along side others as they seek to become a better version of themselves. I choose to live my life so that others can win.

I am committed to helping people live longer healthier lives, attaining a level of abundance and vitality they didn't know was possible. I really believe in the acronym "TEAM" Together, each achieves more.

In July, 2018 we experienced something that no parent EVER wants to experience. It was early the morning of July 20th and my husband, Greg and I were attending a Rotary Leadership conference. My phone started exploding with missed calls. I stepped out of the room and returned a call from Teen Challenge. Now, let me back up and set a little context.

Our son, Jason battled alcoholism for years, since he was a teenager. He was in and out of jail related to DUI's and he had been in rehab several times. He ended up going through a residential program at Teen Challenge in Tuscon, AZ. He completed the program and then was an intern with them and then an employee. Non-profits don't pay very well and so he ended up going back into construction. So, the morning of July 20th, was strange to have repeated missed calls from Teen Challenge....... back to my story.

Clay was calling from Teen Challenge because everyone was trying to get hold of us. You see Jason was working on a tin roof of a building that was built for gymnastics There had been a fire and they were removing the roof so it could be inspected for soundness. Jason had fallen through a skylight that was 2-3 stories high onto a concrete floor. He had been rushed to Banner University Hospital. Clay had the number of the social worker at the hospital. I frantically called. She really couldn't tell me much. I finally asked her, "Mam, are my son's injuries life threatening?" I heard her reply through a fog that yes they were indeed. I went back into the meeting and motioned for my husband to join me outside. It took him a few moments to grasp the gravity of the situation. (When you have had a child with an addiction, it is natural to not jump immediately when you get a call, but this was VERY different!) We were actually in Denver and had to drive back to our home in Co Springs which was an hour or so south. We packed, we booked flights and were on our way to Tuscon that very afternoon. When we got there, our son was in a coma and was unresponsive. He had shattered his spine and they had removed part of his skull to allow for the swelling of his brain. I am sure you can ONLY imagine the gamut of emotions we went through! We prayed! Oh, how we prayed and contacted others to pray and put Jason on their prayer circles. The next day, Jason had surgery to stabilize his spine so that he could be moved. If he were to survive, they needed to be able to move him to prevent pneumonia from setting in. He survived that surgery, but looked even worse after spending 4-5 hours on his face during spinal surgery.

The accident occurred early morning on Friday, July 20, 2018. Jason went home to heaven on Wednesday night, July 25, 2018. He was 37 years old. Banner University said he was a hero, as he was an organ donor and they flew a flag in his honor. We had a celebration of life in Tuscon and another a couple of weeks later in Colorado Springs. More than 250 people came to celebrate his life that ended way too soon. I mourned the lost possibilities as my son never had the opportunity to marry and be a dad which he so desperately wanted to do.

This experience was by far the most difficult thing I have ever been through! I wish this on no one, not even my worst enemy if I had one! So why is the title of this article "Why I am Thankful I am an Entrepreneur"? I will tell you! My husband and I were able to disengage from life for 4-5 months! We took time to heal. We took time to grieve. Neither of us had to get permission to take time off of work. We didn't have to be emotionally present to others or clients when it was all we could do to get out of bed! You see in May 2009, we started our home business. I had been a realtor and my husband is retired Army and had owned his own financial advising company. We had worked and created leveraged income that has paid us every month these past 11 years! There is a saying to dig the well before you are thirsty. Perhaps you have heard that before? Well, since we had dug that well, we had the luxury of taking time off when life threw us this incredibly difficult curve ball! So, I have become passionate about helping others take control of their health and their finances so they can weather the storms of life that come their way. That is why I am thankful, I love and I am passionate about being an ENTREPRENEUR!