An everyday story of madness?

I was speaking to chap today at a networking meeting. He had been a business coach in the past, now an IT consultant, and he was talking to me about leadership. He saw many instances where someone had been thrust forward to run a company, or where it had evolved to a size where there was now a whole team of people, where previously there had been just the owner and a couple of close people. 

But the business was now failing, because of the owner’s lack of natural affinity to lead. “You can explain what is required, and teach the skills – but it would not happen.” Leadership, he said, could not be taught. 

Some of these were potentially really good businesses, which really frustrated him. So much so, that in a couple of cases he was motivated to help by offering to buy them and run them.  

Here’s the interesting thing: the owners made a great fuss about the price; making huge valuations way beyond his offer which, admittedly by his account, was very reasonable. They would say things like “I have built this up over twenty years! I could never let it go for that!” 

Yet, let’s just recall, these businesses were failing – they were making very little profit or were even losing money.  The owners were really suffering. It’s not too difficult to imagine this either, is it? I know a few local businesses just like this myself.

What is it saying? Is part of this describing how easily we can sometimes hold onto things, to resist change - even where it is the solution - because of our investment in the past?  We are capable of holding onto to all kinds of things that are not good for us, in other aspects of life too, wouldn't you say? These businesses owners were not “stupid” people, either. Food for thought?

Just as the past is only yesterday’s dinner, so tomorrow does not exist yet either. As the sign which hung in the old White Heart Pub on Redbourn Road read, “Free drinks tomorrow.” Tomorrow is always tomorrow – it is never here. And the past no longer exists; it is gone. There is only now.

Loving your life, enjoyment, natural enthusiasm and motivation, can only be found in the present moment. Yes, we can have an end objective in mind, but the real challenge is to enjoy the days along the way. It may take change, and time. But these days are all we ever really experience, and all that we can ever fully treasure.