You goals are set. You have a plan. Now it's time to execute. While your plan looks great on paper the reality is that there are outside forces and folks who influence your ability to accomplish what you have set out to do. The world is a much bigger place than our tiny little bubble, As a result, it becomes necessary to execute our plan in the midst of what is going on around us.
Susan had always dreamed of opening an ice cream shop in her home town. She had the perfect location and the funding secured to purchase it. After years of planning and saving she was about to make her dream of being a business owner in the community she grew up in a reality. She made her offer for the building and then it was time to wait and see what the owners would do. After a few days her realtor called back and advised her that the owners had decided to accept another offer. Susan was heartbroken, she had waited so long for this opportunity and now it was seemingly out of reach. She did have the capital to increase her offer and there were really no other viable locations in the immediate area. She began to question whether or not she would ever see her dreams become a reality. A few weeks went by and each time she passed the location and saw the "SOLD" sign she got a lump in her throat. On one such occasion as she passed by, her cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number and started to let the call go to voice mail. With a deep sigh she decided to answer the call. "Hello, this is Susan," she responded. A deep, baritone sounding voice on the other end replied, "Susan this is Mr. Scott. I purchased the building located at 15347 Sunrise St. I understand that you also had an interest in the building and wanted to meet with you." The meeting was scheduled for the following afternoon and Susan could barely contain her excitement. They agreed to meet at the building and Susan arrived a few minutes early. Workers were already milling about taking measurements and cleaning the exterior. She looked longingly at the big picture window which faced the corner. She had dreams of people walking past as she prepared homemade ice cream. Those dreams were gone now. Just then, she could see Mr. Scott walking towards her. He was a thin, tall man whose voice didn't match his physical appearance. He extended his hand and greeted her with a firm handshake. Mr. Scott didn't waste anytime getting down to business. He explained that his company was a development firm that specialized in rehabbing businesses for mixed use. He was interested in leasing space to her for a micro version of the ice cream shop. In fact, if the concept was successful he'd like to see her open multiple locations in future developments. He'd definitely peaked her interest with his offer. Susan requested a formal proposal from Mr. Scott and some time to review it. The following week she received a FedEx package with the proposed agreement inside. After talking it over with her attorney and negotiating a few terms the deal was done. Susan's dream would come true and had the potential to be even bigger than she herself had imagined! Three years have since passed and Susan has opened 2 additional locations under the partnership with Mr. Scott with plans to open 2 more in the next year.
Sometimes what we think is the end is really just the beginning. It's not always a bad thing to merge our plan with a bigger one. When our hearts and minds remain open then possibilities are always present. In Susan's case success was achieved by going a route she hadn't even considered. Merging her dreams with the dreams of another entity got her the results she desired and open doors to more opportunity. Don't be afraid to explore alternatives. Sometimes chasing our dreams means going with the flow set by someone else. It's okay to keep your options open!
-Enna B
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