The “Wow!” Life Anywhere

As many know, Centerville, Iowa is where I call home. It is a deeply rural community and the third poorest in Iowa. No one assumes anything or anyone successful can be from Centerville but I assure you there have been and there are successful people here now.

I can also assure YOU that you can be successful where you are now.

Let me share a couple very recent stories. It is the morning after Christmas and I get a call from a close friend. They listed their home and the property it is on for sale not long ago. They had a real estate agent who represents celebrities do a preliminary viewing on behalf of an interested party. The call is to share that my friend just found out the celebrity is incredibly famous and very interested. I think the term, “more than qualified” was used. Not bad for someone looking at a property listed at $16,800,000.

Today I’m hosting and touring a retired hedge fund manager turned business start up specialist and his fiancé. They are wonderful people who are exceptionally bright. In the interest of not offending them I’ll simply say we are now working on a couple very small business projects. Luck often has a lot to do with introductions and small opportunities. Everyone would agree, I’m very lucky.

Am I just lucky? It feels like that. Is it hard work? It is Saturday morning and I’m working in my home office. Am I lucky to get to work 70 hours a week? Damn right I am.

What I do know is I love doing what I’m doing. I love working with people and building trusting relationships. I love having multiple people that I can call to ask for the favor of a lifetime who would execute first and ask questions later if I needed them.

Those close enough to me to know what is really going on usually ask, “What’s the secret?” Seems everyone loves a secret. Believe me I’m an idiot to a large degree. The secret is simple. You have to want to. You have to want to give up free time. You have to want to educate yourself. You have to work smart more than you have to work hard. It is the fact that I’m not too bright that motivates me to put in the extra hours.

There is another part to the secret. I read books. I read a lot of books. And more importantly I try to do what they suggest. Here are some suggestions:

Getting Things Done by David Allen. Not exactly a murder mystery, Getting Things Done turned my office from multiple piles of… crap into a nice clean office with a desk. I knew I had a leather top on my desk for a reason. For years I couldn’t see it. Now I can. Better yet I’m making more money. David Allen shares what I call “simple stupid” basics that can change your life. There is a link here to purchase it if you are so moved.

The 4 Hour Work Week By Tim Faris is next. This book can shake your tree a little bit. That is especially true if you like to do and control everything yourself. If you want to join the 21st century you need to read this book as soon as possible. It will give you a better grip on outsourcing. While I’m not sure I could do everything the way it is outlined in the book I have executed much of it. My only challenge is that I’m not Tim Faris. I’m Bill Burch and have 150 employees in brick and mortar businesses. I’m not a lone single flitting around the world and making money at it. If I would have had this book before I was married and had children…

The last book I’ll mention in this post is E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. This is a great book. It really shares the heart of the entrepreneur and what they need to do to survive. This book is where I learned the term “entrepreneurial seizure”. Much like children, businesses can be a permanent reminder of a temporary emotion.

The blessings I’m experiencing should be had by everyone. Keep your eye on being the best and move that direction. Most of us have the tools in both potential character and motivation to do what is necessary for us to have a life filled with abundant blessings. Sometimes you just need a little help seeing that they are there or getting a little help and training. Consider the books I’ve mention. They are linked so all you need to do is click on them to purchase them as economically as reasonably possible.

If Bill Burch can do it in Centerville, Iowa most anyone should be able to be successful almost anywhere.

No matter your position, I pray that your life be filled with blessings no less than my own and hopefully many more.