Something From Nothing, With Something To Share

Betrayal, it can hit you like a load of bricks falling from the sky, leaving you with a pit in your stomach that no pill can cure.

Starting your own business is hard enough, however when your inside people are working against you as well, it can make the toughest of souls weak at the knees.

Let me take you back a few years, and share a little story with you.

There I was, a fledgling in the corporate world, I had just quit my (steady) job and sold everything I had to venture out into entrepreneur life, when "it never could happen to me" happened.

My closest friend and business partner wiped out our bank account balance, leaving me with debt up to my eyeballs, and a lesson to be learned.

I come from one of those attitudes that believe that everything happens for a reason, so what could this reason be, I pondered?

It was tough; let me tell you - faced with the biggest crossroad of my life.

A failing business with no cash to save me, a close friend's betrayal, and two roads leading into separate directions.

One, Go after the person who did me wrong, obviously having a slam dunk case and would win in any court, or Two, use that same precious time and energy to focus in a more positive manner on rebuilding what I once had, and learn from the experience, if nothing else, what I would never tolerate again.

What would you do?

For myself, I chose the second of the two, knowing darned well, that by wasting my (thoughts and energy) on ways to get back at this person, and how I could make them suffer as I, there would be little left to focus on what really mattered most.

Creating the business model and dream that I had began on in the first place.

What made me take this route, you ask?

There is an old saying that goes 'many receive good advice, yet few actually profit from it.'

Since I chose to succeed, I went back and listen to all my old motivational tapes, thumbed through the books, and messages, got my focus back and quickly realized that we are all dealt obstacles in this world.

I mean, there will always be stumbling blocks in our lives, that's just part of life itself.

It's our "Attitude" toward these events that show the world who we are as a person.

For, it's been said: we learn more about someone on one bad day, then on all their good days put together.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to always have drama in their lives, while others simply go with the flow? Or why one group of people are happy and content most the time, while some seem to only attract anger and chaos into their lives?

I believe it's because what we feel and how we see ourselves on the inside is the direct reflection on how we feel and see the world around us.

Someone once said to me, "we can't control our circumstances all the time, but we can control our attitude toward them." A true statement I know, but come on - I was stuck in a tight spot here.

So, there I was - with a BIG decision to make and decided to take on this challenge as just that.

A challenge.

I figured, if I could overcome this situation that seemed so grave at the time, and not only make it through it, but actually grew from it, perhaps, maybe - just maybe my business partner didn't fail me after all.

Here's what I did.

I moved on, and buried the past. I went into the office the next day, changed the locks on the door, rolled up my sleeves and never looked back.

It's amazing what a new coat of paint can do to a dreary old room, and that's what I did for my business and attitude toward it. Out with the old, and in with the new.

When I called all my customers and explained what had happened, you wouldn't believe the response. It was like a brotherhood of business people. Each person I spoke with having more advice that the last. It was strange how I felt all-alone, and ashamed for letting someone take advantage of me, while others saw me as a new start up, and simply green behind the ears. Remember, we all make mistakes.

There were many lessons learned that month, and I took the advice given to me by these people, by hiring the best accounting person I could find, and then one of the best of Tax firms to oversee their numbers as well.

By doing so, guess what happened?

My business rose to the highest of dimensions, allowing me to set my sights on growth rather than setbacks, and on the future rather than the past.

That was many, many years ago, the company became a corporation, and eventually the corporation was sold to another.

Now I find myself here, writing this story as if it were yesterday, remembering one of the greatest lessons I've learned.

In life - things will happen, both for the good and the bad. It's the way we handle these situations that make us who we are.

It's all right to feel anger; it's OK to sense pain, but in the end, when the story is written, which path will you have chosen?

Live in the past, or live FOR the future.

Best wishes, and what ever you do?

Keep smilin',

Gregory Scott Reid - The Millionaire Mentor

Gregory Scott Reid, #1 best-selling author, Speaker and Radio personality. Please visit my site and sign up for my free monthly newsletter at http://www.AlwaysGood.com Best wishes, and Keep smilin'....

---

Coating Service Business Case Study

There are many coating businesses in the market today, but... Read More

Judging Entrepreneurial Ideas

Most entrepreneurs constantly come up with new ideas. Whether they... Read More

A Startup Never Closes

When it comes to a startup, the luxuries shared with... Read More

Oil Change Guys History; Part IV

One trait of franchisors and something you will find in... Read More

Entrepreneurship Story; Over Regulation in Franchising Part I

Jim and Sally run a successful auto business, which they... Read More

Lessons Learned from Successful Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are a special breed of high achievers. They create... Read More

Entrepreneurs: Benefits vs. Features-Know the Difference!

Entrepreneurs know their business. They know their product, their service.... Read More

Street Smarts Vs Book Smarts, What Does It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur

The latest series in "The Apprentice" features 2 distinct group... Read More

Can a Microbusiness Help You Enjoy a Better Retirement?

Not having enough money for a comfortable retirement tops the... Read More

Financing Your Business

Anyone who is serious about making some money is already... Read More

5?4?3? 2...1?

A streak dating back more than three decades came to... Read More

Business Startup Checklist

Use this comprehensive checklist to plan each step of your... Read More

Beware the Opposition!

Any time you make changes in your life you are... Read More

The Role of Statistics in Prospect Modeling

Identifying prospects has come a long way since the days... Read More

Solving the Million Dollar Mystery: 4 Steps To Create A Turn-Key Business

You're a smart, hardworking entrepreneur, and you're moving fast. You... Read More

Oil Change Guys History; Part II

Franchise companies are not born they are made and when... Read More

Surviving the Three Pitfalls of Business Ownership

The morning sun sheds its brilliance and warmth... Read More

Preparing to Outsource

It's important to understand when to add individuals to your... Read More

Are You an Entrepreneur That is Starved for Time?

Being an entrepreneur and running a successful home-based business is... Read More

Become a Recognized Authority in Your Field - in 60 Days or Less!

You don't have to be rock-star famous before you are... Read More

An Entrepreneurs Biggest Cost

When launching a new product or company, an entrepreneur must... Read More

Raising Capital for Your Business ? How Long Does it Take?

Most companies vastly underestimate the time commitment necessary to successfully... Read More

Starting Your Business: 3 Tips for Bootstrapping Your Way to the Top

Bootstrapping a business startup does not necessarily mean that you... Read More

Youve Found Your Guru, Now What?

In my last article, "Follow That Guru", I told you... Read More

Franchising Companies Need New Franchisee Checklists

When franchise companies are moving fast in the market place... Read More

Walt Disneys Failures Could Inspire Entrepreneurs

You are a struggling entrepreneur and sometimes it feels like... Read More

Success Secret - How To Find Million Dollar Opportunities

They're really are powerful million dollar opportunites everywhere.Ok, let me... Read More

Start a Business Selling Government Surplus

Did you ever wonder what happens to all that government... Read More

Could a Book About Your Company be Worth $1.7 Billion? Building Value Through Publishing

"Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) to purchase Clayton Homes for $12.50... Read More

The 7 Major Reasons Businesses Fail and How to Overcome Them

This year, over 800,000 of the approximately 2,000,000 start up... Read More

Entrepreneurial Ongoing Education Advice

I would like to give some advice to all the... Read More

What Part of Handwriting on the Wall Dont You Understand - They Dont Hire People Over 50

In a recent talk to the Detroit Economic Club, President... Read More

Realism vs. Optimism in the Business Plan

The most important function of a business plan is to... Read More