Being Almost Broke and In Debt Can be Pretty Cool

I think this is the best post you have written, not because it reveals some secret, but because I am hearing the true Peter Sterlacci. I can relate to you. Keep doing this. Oh ..wait did I just give advice, damn me.

Let me know how I can help and serve you. I mean that!!!

Warmly, your friend Todd.
Todd Nielsen recently posted..Are You Making Your Employees Stupid?

Here is how I navigate my business!
“i felt weak and scared, looked around the world, whole,
And found peace and strength, lay very much in my soul.”
Dr Amit Nagpal recently posted..Hug and Nudge-Two Answers to One Question

Peter — great post. When I’m coaching business owners this type of thing comes up all the time. They think that following in the footsteps of others who achieved success will result in success for them, too. Maybe or maybe not. Likely, it will be the latter.

Yes, there’s nothing worse than getting advice from people who think they know what’s better for you than you. I’m of the coaching philosophy that the client does have all the answers although having more data and experiential input from others is important and necessary to facilitating the client to uncover that for him or herself.

All these so-called solutions worked for others because of who THEY are/were at the time. A perfected set of steps led to their success (after they spent a lot of time, effort and so on perfecting those steps — or conveniently leaving out the steps that didn’t work ). They found the x, y, z that led to all their dreams coming true. That’s really great — for them. (Not to be missed, many make millions of dollars packaging and selling those solutions to others ).

However, each of us in unique and our DNA confirms that. Our particular mix of passions and emotions and all the cool stuff that makes us who we are can never be stuffed into the “cookie cutter” approach of just do this or that and “you’ll be just like me.”

Everyone needs to find their own path — on their own timeline and in their own unique way. Our journey in life is our path and includes all we encounter on that path. And, sometimes it has nothing to do with the money at all. For me, it was about testing my character under every possible life stress known to mankind, growing me from the inside out and maturing me in a way that my corporate job, which I left a decade ago to start a business, was never going to do for me. The entrepreneur’s journey is one of the soul and it’s the most exciting adventure there is. I’m still on that adventure.

Many years ago, someone told me … “the process is perfect, things are the way they are supposed to be.” This statement has helped me navigate the darkest of dark times and the lightest of light times . It isn’t about feeling victimized by anything, but about taking that look inside and using all of what’s happening to truly cherish the moments and to unearth what wonderful, loving, wisdom they’re trying to impart to us.

I see you doing this very thing. You, my friend, are on the adventure of a lifetime and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the moments. You are following your dream which I believe is the heart of your soul manifesting on this plane. I did a similar thing you’re doing 10 years ago and I completely understand every word you wrote more than you’ll ever know. I’m certainly glad I didn’t know what was ahead for me when I left the corporate world. If I did, then I would have never really gotten to know who I am and what I’m made of.

There is no arriving, where everything in life suddenly plateaus on some nirvanic plane of existence. The journey continues with its twists and turns, its valley and peaks and everything in between. I wouldn’t trade what’s been the most challenging decade of my life (literally and figuratively) for anything else and I know you wouldn’t either.

And, what’s most important? Meeting you on my journey. So glad we’ve connected on our soular journeys. I’ve learned from you, I’m appreciative of your kindness and consideration and I have a great respect for you and what you do. See, if you weren’t on the journey you are, then we would have never met. After all, the process is perfect.

Namaste
Tara
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No-one else knows the maze you’re in – that really rang true for me, Peter. It’s why a one size fits all approach never works in marketing or anything else.
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From where I stand, I see incredible fortitude, perseverance, and vision when I read this post. I’ve known you for more than a few years, and I’ve seen so much growth in just this short time. And while you may not be where you want to be at this single point in time, your life and our lives are so much more richer and deeper because of the path you’ve chosen to blaze for you, your family, and for all of us. Really.

Think about it. Everyone I know is just a disaster short of losing everything. We are all in debt, we have mouths to feed, and sometimes, the days are more cloudy than clear. But it’s the people like you who go out and pursue your dreams, who inspire and help the rest of us think about the possibilities, encourage us on in our own hopes, and allow us to believe that here is someone just like me trying his best to make a difference in his life.

Okay, you know that I lean on giving those inspirational speeches, but from a practical point of view, I look at what you’ve done and I’m incredibly impressed: created the most amazing web site and blog; developed and nurtured a loyal and strong collaborative network of professionals in an emerging field; written and produced your own eBook; developed a cutting edge delivery of ideas in the Vlogathon; and successfully found a way to embrace a relatively new area called social media. Oh, did I mention that you did this while living outside your native country and while being a loving dad and husband? Gee, it sounds like success to me.

I think of it this way: here in the US, we admire many of our immigrants because they usually start out here on the bottom and do everything they can to make it, not only for themselves, but for their families. And quite often, it takes years and years of toiling and working long hours and not having the kind of life that many of us take for granted. They may not even realize what they see as success. Rather, they do it with the hope they will, and to ensure their kids will.

I know this because it is what my grandparents did when they decided to leave their home countries to come here. It is the belief and attitudes my own parents embraced so that my brothers and sisters could live a better life. And it’s how my wife and I feel as we try to instill these values in our own children and grandchildren.

So now it’s my turn to use cycling as a metaphor for life. You know when you are riding a long distance, maybe when you are climbing a hill, and you are not quite sure if you are going to make it to the top, and what’s worse, since this is a new route, you are not quite sure if there is another hill beyond this one. You know that it’s tough and maybe you should just quit. You are riding alone, so no one’s going to tell you that it’s bad to quit. It’s your choice. But then, somewhere inside, you just decide that you are going to push yourself and set your goal on getting to the top, despite how bad things are. And somehow, you are there, you did it, and now you are on top. And when you look out ahead, dang, there’s another big hill. That’s it. That’s where you are right now. End of post.