The Golden "Rule" in My Life

The Golden "Rule" in My LifernI follow a blog of a young lady (who happens to be my niece) and I am very proud of what she has accomplished and what she will continue to accomplish. As I watched her first post to her blog, I realized that she had taken a step in her life that was necessary for me to take in mine. She faced a great challenge in her life, and she faced that challenge head on. In the words of a local wrecker company.....No Ditch Too Deep, No Hill Too Steep!! She decided that whatever it took...however hard it was...however long it took...she was going to start and finish what she had decided to face. How does that compare with me?? What did it challenge me to face in my life?? Will I be as successful as she has been?? After a career that has spanned nearly four decades in an industry that fueled the growth of this great land of ours, I faced the economic downturn that started in 2007 in the construction segment of our economy. I faced the potential of the loss of what I felt was the dream and purpose of my business life. Eventually, I did face that exact fate. I lost the business that I had always felt would be the vehicle to provide for my wife and I for the latter years of our life. I also felt that it would provide the ability and opportunity to help our children get started on homes of their own, and our grandchildren with their education. But, that did not work out EXACTLY like I had planned!! So, after going through all of those "phases" that the professionals say that a person goes through that has experienced a loss, I came to the realization that I had essentially two options. I could continue to wallow around without a plan or direction, or I could pick myself up by the bootstraps, develop a plan, and begin to move forward. My faith and belief system were instrumental in helping me come to that conclusion, and I will forever be thankful to God for that. So, just like my niece...I decided to face things head on. I intend on telling the story of this journey in these blog posts. Maybe, they will be of little or no value to anyone that reads them, but, I believe that in some form or fashion, someone will have faced the same or similar challenges, and if I can be of help to them, I will be honored. In my work life, the "Rule" is an important tool for success. In the construction industry, the "Rule" is used constantly....whether a carpenter, a brick mason, a tile mason, a cabinet installer....we all need to use a "Rule". In my belief system...The "Golden Rule" is also an important tool. I think that it is imperative that I DO UNTO OTHERS AS I WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO ME. That is why I decided on this name for this blog. My Theme: BUILDING UP HOMESrn BUILDING UP BUSINESSESrn BUILDING UP OTHERS