Dreams and Tomorrows

We've all been guilty of putting things off and using the phrase "i'll do it tomorrow..." but just like "i'll start the diet on Monday..." - Tomorrow never comes.

When I was 13 years old my Nannie was diagnosed with cancer. It was a massive blow for the family as the original diagnosis was sore throat and an ear ache. Within a year we'd gone from smiles to funerals. She was such a beautiful kind soul and was taken way in her early 50s.

My Grandad, who has always been my hero, gave up work to care for my Nannie. He was such a hard working man and even at my young age I could tell how much he loved my Nannie. Fast forward 12 years and i'm sitting on the sofa with Gramps telling him i'm going to start my own business. Everyone else told me I was mad, asked if I was scared or were not sure if i was serious. My Gramps on the other hand told me that I had a big decision to make - Would I be the boss who was a friend or not... Because once I made up my mind this would be the basis of my career. The way I treated others would lay out my future. The guy was a genius. During the same conversation he told me that he was proud of me. I had to try not to cry. He then explained that when he was younger he always dreamed of opening his own construction company but for reasons I won't say here, he never "got round to it". I could tell that he was so happy that i'd decided to follow the dream he never did. At the end of the conversation he offered me access to what would be my inheritance. I took £300 and headed off in to the hard world of self employment.

Sadly my Grandad passed away in 2012, at the age of 70, never realising his full potential or achieving his dreams. I vowed that I would never do the same. For myself and for him.

My Nannie was taken away young - A massive reminder that our tomorrows are not guaranteed.
My Grandad lived with regret at not following his dream - A huge reminder that we are here only once and we should make the mistakes, take the risks and do the things we want to do. I was lucky to have an amazing relationship with my Nannie and Gramps and i'll always use them to guide me through life.

Please don't make the same mistakes. Do what you want to do - FOR YOU!
You'll be much happier on your death bed laughing about the time you had to live on baked beans for a month because you took a risk rather than playing it safe. You're also not guaranteed a tomorrow so start living for today. I don't want to depress you all just before xmas but I do want to make you think before you plan your 2016.

Make it count.
Much Love
Dee xx

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The many faces of self-employment

I'm lucky enough to know a lot of people all over the world for various different reasons. Friends, family, work, acquaintances etc etc etc

I want to focus on a rather special breed of people today - The Self Employed.

After a conversation with a good friend of mine recently  (who also happens to be self employed), I got thinking. Ouch.

Out of all the people I know, self employed people wear the most masks. They are the most two faced people on the planet. Now, before you go organising a hate campaign against me, let me explain what I mean.

If an employed person feels ill and they don't go to work the company / team / office cover the job and the world continues turning.
If a self employed person calls in and can't work. hahahahahahahaha sorry that doesn't happen. Self employed people will put on a mask and just get on with it. We're a different breed. If we stop, the world stops with us. or at least our world does. unless we're lucky to have a business partner or the like.

So why do these situations make us two faced? Well the definition of two faced is "someone who is insincere or who acts one way in certain situations and then in a contrary manner in others." (Thanks Google). 
A self employed person will tell you everything in the world is perfect, they'll plaster on a smile, get your work done and soldier on. You'll not see the other side of things where they're exhausted and just haven't got the energy to go on any more. These people will stand at shows and events for 10 hours, smiling at you and making you feel welcome, answer your questions and you wouldn't be able to tell that they are in mental and physical pain, they're exhausted and all they want to do is curl up and sleep.

The self employed don't have the luxury of a clocking off time or a set weekend. Not really. If it seems that way to the outside world it's probably because the self employed person has just pulled a 90 hour week so they could enjoy a rare long weekend. They'll then have to do it all again the following week just to catch up.

I've been thinking about the mask of a self employed person for a very long time and it's nice to see, after talking with other self employed people that i'm "normal". You will not hear me saying that very often.

So, this Christmas season, why not give a self employed person a hug. Because I guarantee they'll need it, even if they are smiling and laughing. They will be wearing a mask, because that's what they do. They will tell you everything is ok - not because they want to lie but it's easier that way.

Much Love
Miss Make It Happen

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