I’m a very lucky man.
I didn’t win the lottery nor did I make the finals of American Idol.
I say that because I know some wonderful people.
Just this minute I got off a skype chat with my lovely wife.
She really is the whole package.
As a business person she’s hard-working, punctual and efficient.
As a mother, she’s kind, sweet and an amazing cook.
And as a person she’s smart and funny.
She is not only the love of my life, but she is also my bff.
We have been together for 11 years now and there is never a dull moment. We’re busier than ever as our workload and responsibilities have increased, but that only adds to the fun.
We both love TV and movies and take every advantage we can to enjoy them together, even if our schedule makes it hard.
But the best thing is we can discuss everything under the sun.
Last night I showed her a new project that I had been working on for some clients here in Japan.
She was very impressed and congratulated me on my hard work.
I told her that I couldn’t take all the credit as I do have a wonderful team helping me.
I mentioned that I was simply applying some of the marketing techniques I had learnt recently to create a sense of excitement and community.
All I did was pass those ideas along to my team members and they did the rest.
My wife then did what she so often does, she said something powerful, so I thought I’d share that with you.
She said, “ideas + execution = awesomeness.”
That’s right. It’s the execution of good ideas that creates the magic.
Now, in my career, I focus my time on the idea section and let my team work on the execution. In essence, all I do is act as a guide.
It’s wonderful that I can not only share powerful techniques to help my clients but that I have someone to share my successes and failures with.
But my wife is not the only wonderful person in my life.
As I mentioned before, I have a team that is punctual, caring, hard-working, funny, sincere and above all, trustworthy.
I know they’ve got my back, which frees me up to allow me to do what I do best – create.
Together we have set ourselves up nicely for our best year yet. Already we have welcomed 5 new clients to our growing family. And I couldn’t have done that without them.
Speaking of clients it is both an honor and a privilege to be a part of their lives.
They make going to work all the more worthwhile.
Some of my clients have been with me for over 10 years, so I consider them more friends than clients.
On top of my clients and my team, I’m very lucky to have good friends.
Friends are those wonderful people who know everything about you and still love you.
My best friend lives in Thailand and though we can only meet once a year or so, I often think of the escapades we had.
He is a big part of who I am today and I can’t thank him enough for putting up with me all these years.
My family and I used to joke that he was my brother as he spent so much time at our house.
But jokes aside, he is family.
I’m also lucky to have had wonderful parents who taught me right from wrong and were always there for me. Sadly, my father is no longer with us, but my mother and I are very close and video chat once a week as she has chosen to make Thailand her home.
My mentor, who is a wealth of knowledge and experience, is just a phone call away.
He’s tough but fair and I respect him for that immensely.
I also have a library of books, audio lectures and DVDs of some of the best minds in marketing, self-development, business and time management to fill my mind with ideas.
And while I have never met them, I feel many of them are kindred spirits and I appreciate them having taken the time to put their ideas down on paper for me (and millions around the world) to study from.
Finally, I have my son who brings both joy and frustration into my life. He is only 3 so the frustration is just part of the deal.
He is, however, well behaved, funny, kind and a very happy little boy.
Having him in my life is like a little ray of sunshine.
So what is this post all about?
The point is this – many of us complain about our jobs, our boss, our backstabbing coworkers, our annoying customers, and the list goes on and on.
But by complaining we are choosing to focus our minds on that which we don’t want, and in doing so overlook just how many wonderful people we have in our lives.
I may be a lucky man, but we’re all lucky people and a big part of that is because of the people we meet and spend time with.
As the saying goes, “Don’t let the haters get you down,” there are too many wonderful people in this world.
Be thankful for the people in your life because they are the ones that make it all worthwhile.
Adrian Shepherd