When I look at my wife, my children and family it all comes together. This is what it is all about; time with the family and to see the unbridled joy that your family has when you are there with them. At the end of life most people do not regret that they did not spend more time at work, make more money, bought a bigger house or a better car. Most people regret having not spent more precious time with their families and good friends. In the end, it becomes quite clear. Love, life and family—priceless!
In too many cases you may make money, but time is very limited. You are busy trying to make ends meet or make money to make your family happy. If we are really honest with ourselves we may see that we are doing it for ourselves and not the ones that really county.
My Dad who I tout as the greatest man alive always stresses to me the value of time with family. I have a quote that I attach to all my emails and it states, "Live today like tomorrow doesn't count, for today is really all that matters".
If you’re like most people you have family members that you spend less time with than you spend with your employees, or your co-workers. That is so backwards. I know that in my lifetime I want my family to get more of my time than anyone or anything else. Of course, in life it is easier said than done because living from day today comes with unforeseen challenges, stress and tasks that must be attended to. Still, spending more time with my family is a struggle for me on a daily basis. It is something I am willing to work on constantly though.
My challenge here is not due to the fact that I do not have enough time, but because I love what I do. (That’s a rare blessing.) It’s just that I often do not even feel that I am working. The drawback is, however, that when I am having such a good time investing, moving, shaking and generating wealth for my family and myself, I am missing precious time with my family. I actually have the best-case scenario because I am often able to work from my home office. I am often in the same house with my family, but I am detached off in my office. I’m talking shop on the phone or facilitating a business meeting with key team members and/or clients.
I thank God that I am able to live and work as I do. There is a need I see as I grow to make a serious commitment to stopping the wheels on a regular basis, jumping of the merry-go-round and getting to the real business of life; my kids, my wife. You see, I’m usually on a non-stop roll and loving every minute of it…until those moments when at the end of the day, I look around at my wife and children sleeping peacefully and realize that an entire day has whizzed by and I do not know what exactly happened in each of their lives on that particular day. I’ve vowed to consciously connect and spend time with them much more often, because I don’t want to miss a thing.
Recently I took advantage of the opportunity to spend an entire day with my family. It was a picture-perfect Saturday at Cedar Point. It was priceless. I am determined to create more days like that one with my family. Seriously, that is why I am working and building on my business as I do. It’s because I want to have and exercise my power to be free! So many people in this world simply do not have the freedom to choose to spend a day—any day with their family and just do it. I feel sorry for them, because I used to live like that. Then I discovered the one simple thing I needed to do to change everything.
Darrick H Scruggs
CEO
The Power to Be Free
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