Lara McCulloch

Lara McCulloch

On Posted on by Lara McCulloch to Business Inspiration, Small Business Management

sunday spark: when life hands you lemons

If you’re a Seth Godin fan, you may have seen this video. After a 37 year-old copywriter is laid off from a large ad-agency in 2008, he starts a blog for other unemployed ad professionals. Once the site launched, he decided to create a promotional video featuring the faces and stories of other laid-off execs – and how they used their new-found time to chase their real dreams. It’s now a feature film…and a ‘soon to be’ book. Not bad for a guy who was laid off.

The video made me think about a conversation I had with my Opa this past summer. It was a lazy summer day and we were sitting on the pier enjoying the sun and the sounds of the water lapping up against the wood. I think we were both deep in thought when my Opa said something pretty prolific that has stayed with me ever since. He said, “You know, Lara, you spend your whole life planning for what’s to come. Then one day, when you’re my age, you wake up and realize that there’s not much future to plan for any more.” I’ve been told my whole life that time is fleeting and that it goes by so fast. But nothing has hit me as much as what my Opa said to me that beautiful summer afternoon. I don’t ever want to look back on life and say ‘I wish I had of…’. It was on that very day that I decided to start my own business.

So, even if you weren’t laid off, like me, the Lemonade video should resonate with you. It should make you ask yourself:

  • are you doing what you love?
  • are you spending enough time with your family?
  • are you giving back?
  • are you getting out of life what you want?

If your answers are ‘no’, make your own lemonade.

Tags