A lesson in Courage This past year I had made a drastic change in my life. It has been something that I have wanted for quite some time and I finally made the leap. I was working the corporate scene for over 13 years and the rapid growth that I helped to foster became very overwhelming and one-sided by the owners of the companies. I was putting in 12 hour days consistently and working weekends either at home or going into the office. I had reached the highest level possible for someone that was not a relative and the advancement opportunities were non-existent except for a yearly raise. The workload was more than one person could handle and they were loathed to add extra bodies I quote" to keep a lean department." I presented on several occasions that I am overwhelmed and made the comment that deadlines for projects and reports cannot be met due to taking care of customers first as has always been their motto. I was tired a lot and missed so many family functions that I am embarrassed now as I look back and ask why? My immunity was low from the lack of self-care or lack of balance and I caught every cold or infection that came into my office which made an already hard situation worse. I stopped doing things that I love doing like this blog or other hobbies due to exhaustion for the most part. I had a revelation on a quote that I had seen that I cannot credit the author but it stated thus: "In a battle of egos the loser always wins!" That rang close to home for me because I realized that it was my ego that kept me going for years and the main owners ego was what drove him, a lot of times correctly, however when it came to his eldest and most loyal employees it produced a very toxic environment for the last couple of years. I feel that he wanted to retire and the truth was his son and son in law enjoyed the customer side of sales and did not step up to take on more corporate duties making him feel that he could not pull back on being at the office full time, he is 79 years old. I understand that but I felt instead of yelling and belittling them all the time it was his management staff that he took his feelings out on. His mood swings got to be uncontrollable and after the acquisition, I completed for him for his 4th business in the same exact month that we were implementing a new accounting software program with no added bodies I had reached the limit of my will. I plugged along from June 1st of this year until the end of October when I provided notice of resignation. I presented a graceful smile and stood upright and confident as I laid my post office box keys and the key to the building on his desk as I handed him the letter of resignation. I felt a burden release from me that was immediate relief. I made sure to quickly say this is for me and has nothing to do with money and please do not present counteroffers I am not that type of a person. I made the decision and it was done in my mind and no going back. Well for 3 days I had to endure the owners and Vice Presidents and wives of each wanting to meet with me to talk and ask me to stay or help them thru this project or that extending my notice at one point thru until year-end closings. I finally just said look that only benefits you and not me. The Vice President looked at me and said I understand and yes you are right. After 3 days of silence, they finally let us announce it to my staff. The owners and staff were all teary-eyed and I was smiling at each one and wishing everyone the best and telling them I will miss them, I hugged the owner and did the best I could to train and close out some personal business that I did on the side for the owners and family at the same time. The last day I worked was November 13th, 2018 and I feel like I have had the weight of the world lifted off of my shoulders. I am appreciative of all I have learned and glad that It has opened me up to other opportunities that I can't wait to pursue. I feel like I finally understand what is more important now. Balance is the key. If courage is needed for you in your life also, it is my hopes that you are able to summon the worth that you deserve.

​''The best things in life are free, But you can give them to the birds and bees, I want money, That's what I want, That's what I want.'' In 1959, these words were written by Barrett Strong in a song called "Money”. Since before the dawn of time there has been exposure to many questions dealing with life, but the cliché question is Can money buy happiness? Happiness is not the amount of money one accumulates , it's the state of being at peace with yourself. Speaking from matters of personal experience, I find myself most content when I have money in my pocket , but It will never come up in my calculation of happiness . Happiness come from with in , money just helps bring it out . ​We all want to have money but also we hear the saying ”money is the root of all evil”. In my life I have learned to make sure I control the money and don't let it control me. For example, we all have to make money to support our families, but it's our job to support ourselves. Before you can make anything around you happen , you have to first make it happen for yourself . Once you have accumulated the financial support needed to fund your “idea” you must now find the balance . Don't just think of balance as a state of equilibrium, but look at it as a necessity to self-righteousness. There are many things that people do to keep them at a balanced state, rather its jogging, cooking, reading or making music , having that distraction time brings you to a place of happiness. Being happy isn't just a smile , it's a state of mind . Anytime your mind veers from the balance it only drives you to do more of one thing than the other . For instance , let's say air and water were the 2 elements on your life balance scale , and you never found that median. As we know, you now have more air ,but not enough water . Some people would look at the situation and say “well at least I do have a little bit of water, I'll just make this last” , while others would probably say “well air is the most important so ima just focus on that an get water when I can”. These don't sound like bad thought processes but Look at it like this: Knowing that you need both air to breathe and water to use , you should never want to take from one to hurt the other . Instead you should find the balance. Find a cycle that replenishes both of your elements and stick with it . Same for money and happiness . We need money to survive and happiness is the will of the way . Once you show a person the balance between the two they will no longer feel like they have to be a slave to the money or the Sucker to emotions . If you do what you love and you love what you do your happiness will flourish where ever you go . So the next time you hear the question “Can money buy happiness? “ you can respond and say “I'm already at peace.”