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Lessons from Niagara Falls
By Janet Legere
It was mid October,
2005, an unusually warm and beautiful fall day with the colours just
beginning to manifest into a sea of warmth. The air was thick with
the rich and welcoming aroma of near-perfection.
We were enjoying a
light drink on the outdoor patio overlooking Niagara Falls – and what
a view!
We could clearly see
both the Canadian and the U.S. Falls. For those who have never been,
the ‘Horseshoe’ Falls are on the Canadian side of the border.
I’m including two
beautiful pictures taken from the restaurant patio to show our view:
The US Falls,
Niagara Falls, N.Y.
The
Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Pretty nice view,
eh?
Both are sites to
behold and if you ever get an opportunity to visit Niagara Falls, take
it … do whatever you can to get there and take it in, it is one of the
most inspiring sites I’ve witnessed.
As we sat there
enjoying our drinks, the view and each other, Don suddenly said,
“Janet, what do you
notice here? Look at the people, what do you see?”
Now remember, Niagara
Falls is a huge tourist attraction and even though it was off season,
being mid October, there were still many, many people there. And
there was a very distinct commonality.
They were all
smiling – ‘Happy People’, is how Don referred to them. “They are
happy people.”
Then he said, “Janet,
you know how we always talk about how we can work from anywhere since
our business is online? Well, I was thinking, why not work from here
where we are surrounded by happy people?”
And there it was …
the birth of an idea. Vocalized – lain out in the open – an
opportunity waiting to be snatched.
‘Why not work where
we are surrounded by happy people?’
Why not, indeed!
That was Saturday …
we spent the next 3 days driving around Niagara Falls and
Niagara-on-the-Lake, looking at properties, talking about the
conferences we will hold here and finally, we made our way to a
beautiful port that is part of my birth city, St. Catharines, called
Port Dalhousie (pronounced daloozie).
The view from the
lakeside homes was … well ... Nothing short of breathtaking.
I’d just commented
earlier that day that the only way that I would consider moving back
here to Ontario was if we could live right here on the lake (or have a
lake view) and live in a bungalow. I had my own picture in my mind of
what I meant by a view.
Something like this
comes to my mind:
A backyard view in
Port Dalhousie
As we wound our way
through the tree lined streets of Port Dalhousie, in awe of the beauty
around us, a big red sign jumped out at me – ‘FOR RENT’.
A bungalow right on
the lake … the back yard faces Lake
Ontario and looks right across the
Lake to
the beautiful skyline of Toronto. You could clearly see the CN Tower
in all its majesty, standing there for all to see … proudly tall.
I called the number
listed on the sign and spoke to a wonderful woman who seemed very
friendly. This was to be their retirement home and they were looking
to rent it until they are ready to move there permanently in a year or
two. It sounded too perfect for words and by Friday we had an
appointment to go view this home to rent. It was available for
November 15th.
That was only three
weeks away.
Friday arrived and we
made our way to Port Dalhousie, had lunch there while we waited for
our appointment to view the home. We were both excited and nervous
with anticipation.
Finally, at long
last, 2:00 arrived.
Erica was waiting for
us outside, doing yard work, cleaning up and readying for winter.
Erica is the owner of this lakeside home in Port Dalhousie.
When we walked in the
front door, I became totally oblivious to anything around me … all I
could see was the Lake … from every window … the Living room, Kitchen
(where I envisioned standing in the morning to make coffee, watching
the sun rise over the lake, lighting up the shores), the dining room
and the den … all with large windows facing the Lake … facing that
intensely motivating view.
I had goose bumps and
have them again as I write this, the memory still as fresh as when I
walked in.
I didn’t care what
the house looked like … I knew this was what we wanted, both of us,
this is where we would be – the next step in growing our business.
Well, as it turned
out, we did get the house and then, as I said to one of my business
partners the other day, I found my brain. It’s great to be passionate
about what you do, it’s also important to think logically and put
things together so they work and work well.
What was I thinking -
to move in just a few weeks?
The reality of it all
is that we could have done it. Everything was in place and ready to
go. Had we no responsibilities and family to tend to, it would have
been relatively easy.
Moving in the spring
just made much more sense. It was the right choice.
The idea was given
life by simply thinking about it. Now it’s up to Don and me to
continue with the steps we need to plan for our pending move in the
spring of 2006.
The moral of the
story is that you can live your dreams. You can change your
lifestyle. You can turn things around and make a difference. You can
do anything you set your mind to do.
We had an idea that
we both concentrated on and talked about and thought about and lived
and breathed - and look what came to us in just 6 short days!
Will it be easy? Not
likely and I’m glad for that. I love a challenge.
I expect everyone
experiences challenges on the road to success, in anything you
choose. Business is a challenge. Rise up to the challenge and live
your dream. I’m looking forward with great passion to the months
ahead. It feels like spring already!
Until next time –
have a great day – find your dreams and live them to the fullest. Be
all you can be and do well all that you do.
I leave you with this
scene from the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Canada.
A view of the
Canadian Horseshoe Falls as the water falls over the edge from the
Niagara River – notice the deep teal blue on the edge of the dark
water … this is the gap between the rock and the air as the water
falls over the edge down the deep ravine. It’s breathtaking to stand
so close and hear the roar of the water as it makes its journey to the
calm river below … enjoy your journey.
About the author
–
Janet Legere
is the founder of the highly acclaimed 'Contact List Builder'
training program. As an expert in her field, Janet can show you
and your business associates how simple and powerful it can be to
build good business relations online.
Visit
http://www.contactlistbuilder.com/ or contact Janet at
admin@contactlistbuilder.com for information on how you can
benefit too
© 2005, SykaroInsightsTM, a
Sykaro Inc.
Company. All Rights Reserved
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