Every year we come upon the end of the year and everyone expects you to spend Thanksgiving being thankful for everything in your life. That is not a bad thing but we usually think of only those things associated with our family, friends, and health. What is wrong with being thankful for success, finances, money or business in general?
I am very thankful for my business for several reasons. Having my own business gives me the freedom to take Monday’s off and spend them with my granddaughter. It also gives me the flexibility that I can be at the hospital with my son. Freedom to work when and where I desire to be is very important to me.
When my children where younger having my own business gave me the ability to be at home with them through the most important stages of their lives. It also allowed me to homeschool them through middle school and high school. Now it allows me to take my granddaughter to go swimming and the library.
I love sitting on my back porch in the mornings (though in the winter it is not as practical). If I was at a normal corporate job I would be frantically trying to get out of the house on time instead of mapping out my day and enjoying the birds, breeze and watching people walk by. Having my own business not only provides the house we live in but it also gives me the ability to sit on my back porch and enjoy my house.
I also love my office. I have a red desk that gives me encouragement that I can think outside the box. My office is peaceful most of the time, has a great window to watch rabbits and birds from. It also has reminders everywhere of why I work from home – that gives me the motivation to keep going even on those days I question why I would put myself in a position of being responsible for everything in my company. I am also thankful that my dog is lying under my desk, or watching the rabbits out the window. She gives me the desire to fully concentrate on what is happening now instead of what might happen in the future. She doesn’t care about tomorrow only that she is loved today; she also doesn’t allow what happened yesterday to come between her and the enjoyment of today.
What I am most thankful for is the people I have the privilege of working with. I am thankful that my husband Jared also works right here at home in his own businesses. He is the most encouraging person I know. Not only am I thankful I married him, but I get to work with him every day. I love the people in my networking and mastermind groups and am thankful they are there for me when I need feedback on ideas or just a kick in the pants to get moving. I am thankful for my clients, several of whom have become very good friends. I have also had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest tax and accounting strategists in the world including Diane Kennedy and her team. I never would have met some of the most amazing people I know if I was not the owner of my business.
I guess I am saying that one of the things I am most thankful for is my business. I needed that reminder today. Now make your own list of why your business is important to you and those aspects of it that make you thankful for having your own desk.