One Word That Changed My Life

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One Word That Changed My Life

It's the day before my 42nd birthday. 1:00pm and I'm here to meet a business owner who wants to hire my company.

I walk into the conference room and find a seat at the long table. On the phone last week it sounded like the company hit a rough patch, which the owner will describe in more detail today.

The owner enters the room and shakes hands. We chat a little and then he begins his story.

The condensed version goes something like this:

Business Owner's Story

About six months ago, I made a very bad business decision. For five months, it felt like a good decision. I was pleased with myself and happy I'd made the right choice.

About a month ago, things began to unravel. I came back to the office and started talking to my team.

I soon realized the depth of the trouble we were in. The problem stemmed from my original bad decision, and had been building for months. I'd just been blind to it.

The more I dug, the more discouraged I became. Very dark feelings set in. I quit talking. I couldn't sleep well. I kicked myself over and over and wondered how I could have made such a mistake.

How did I get so far off track? How did I let my team down? How did I get to this dark place? I asked these questions over and over.

For weeks I languished in this very dark and lonely valley.

Then, about a week ago, I had a breakthrough. The fog lifted and I saw with perfect clarity where I went off track.

The last few days have been absolutely amazing!

To explain this breakthrough, I need to tell you another story within my story:

Story Within a Story

Many years ago, I was homeless, living on the street. I'd made some poor life choices, and my homelessness was totally my fault.

Those months on the street were some of the darkest times in my life. It was winter and I didn't have a penny to my name.

I remember sitting out on the street. I was starving hungry.

A kind man came along and offered me a simple bag of pretzels. I was so grateful - they were the best pretzels I'd ever eaten. I cherished them.

It never crossed my mind that maybe the man had an obligation to help me because I was homeless. I was simply grateful someone cared enough to give me a bag of pretzels.

Eventually I got off the streets, and tried to put my life back together. It was hard, but I carried this theme of gratefulness to each opportunity that came my way.

I was grateful when I got a job. I was grateful when I got married. I was grateful for our children. I was grateful for everything I had.

Things began to look up. I got a job at this company and again, I was simply grateful for the opportunity to have a good job. I was grateful to be part of the team.

Time went on. The opportunity came to buy the company, and I took it. Again, I was only grateful. I didn't deserve the good things that were happening to me.

One of the first things I did as I was becoming an owner was apply for a bigger credit line for the company. The bank rejected my request.

You know what? Even in that rejection I was grateful for the opportunity to prove the judgment of the banker wrong! It was the incentive I needed to keep climbing.

I was grateful for everyone who worked for me. I was grateful for the customers, even the bad ones. When I walked through the front door every day, even though I owned the place, I was simply grateful to have a part in it.

Time went on, and I became more successful than I'd ever been. I had a new house. I had investments. I finally had all the stuff I'd ever dreamed of having.

And then, in the middle of success, I lost my gratefulness.

I began to think about me, and my overwhelming schedule. I began to look for avenues that would make me comfortable. As I began viewing things that way, the company and its daily challenges became a burden that got in the way of my life.

It was in that new context I made the bad business decision that brought me to my knees.

This was the "ah ha" moment I had only a week ago.

From the darkest place of the valley I was in, I looked up and saw how I had gotten there!

In that moment I realized a simple truth that shook me to the core.

Despite having all the things I ever wanted in life, when I lost my gratefulness I was poorer than when I was homeless sitting on the street with a bag of pretzels.

It's 4:30pm. It's still the day before my 42nd birthday, but time is slowing down.

I needed this meeting. God sat me on this chair in the conference room because I needed this message.

Candidly, I've been struggling under life's pressures too. Just lately I've been thinking: What about me? Who's going to care about Scott?

With this mindset, I've been chafing at my lot in life. I've resented the problems my children bring me. I've felt like the people I lead are a drag on what my life could be. I've wished the obstacles and responsibilities in my life would go away.

In three hours, that's all been flipped on its head.

I've had a front row seat to one of the most amazing stories in my business journey. I'm walking out of this meeting with a radically different perspective.

It's the day before my 42nd birthday, and one word has changed my life.