I love talking with clients. It fills my soul and continually reminds me of my reasons for what I did, and my goals for the days ahead.

One thing that continually rises to the surface of conversation is the concept that I have “designed my life”.  I have built a business to accomodate my life. I have built everything in my world to work within balance of the other things that make my life fullfilling.

I have created an entirely self serving life.

I created the life that I wanted (and my partner wanted)

I was utterly, and wholey selfish in what I did.

Yes Selfish. And I know what you are thinking, because as a society we tend to look on being selfish as a negative.

“Selfishness is placing concern with oneself or one’s own interests above the well-being or interests of others” (wikepedia)

I did this. And I am still doing this.

Was I wrong?

Was I wrong to stop thinking about how other people (outside of my core family) would be affected by my life and choices?

No. I don’t think so.

See, it’s my life.  My ONLY life. And if I can’t build it to suit ME, why bother building it all?

And my life, the one that is all about ME . . . well that life is filled with helping others, and sharing happiness. It is filled with time to bake cookies with my kids, and quiet mornings. It has a great view and is every changing. (and by that I mean every, single day is different)

This life is filled with multiple business objectives. This life is sometimes chaotic, and more often peaceful.

And keeping my life “mine” means I sometimes need to say no. It means I sometimes don’t do jobs that come my way, or don’t contribute where others think I should. It sometimes means that I draw HUGE boundaries. It sometimes means I don’t.

Above all else, I choose.

I choose each day to say yes or no. I choose each day how it will unfold. I have built my life so that I have a choice.

Every. Single. Day.

And every single day, I choose what will make me happy, and fullfilled.

So build your life. Design it. Remove the peices you don’t like (yes, even those pieces)  You will notice that the things that remain are the things that feed your soul and fill your life.

Be harsh. Be selfish. Draw lines in the sand. Stand up for your beliefs.
If you give others the chance to define the bits of your life. . .  you will not have a life you love.

So. Yes, I am selfish. And I am proud to be. Be selfish with me . . .