Freelance Week 12

You want to know the secret to success... there is no secret. Work Hard. Trust God. Enjoy Life. It's more than just my twitter bio. It's the way I live my life. I believe God gave us all a unique gift to share with others. And it's in my efforts to share my gift that I've found, to some degree, success. There is no 12-step program. There is no special formula. There is only living, learning and loving.

On Faith

This past week was a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me. And it can pretty much all be summed up with one word, taxes. I've gone through denial, resentment and now to a place of peace. But it seems like everyone I talk to agrees on one thing, our tax situation is totally unbalanced here in America. Without going off on a rant, I'll leave it at this: If I can trust the Lord with my provision then I can most certainly trust him when it comes to paying taxes. The following verse really hit home for me this past week:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

On Work

From last week I had a breakthrough in my project I was struggling with. I can only say that being open and honest with your client(s) is the best thing possible. I found I have to be willing to put it all on the line, even if that means I may lose the client. I would rather risk losing a client being honest than selfishly stringing them along. Once we recognize that clients are people too then it becomes more about the relationship than the money.

I continue to feel so blessed to be doing what I'm doing for a living. But the desire to create something more than myself keeps growing. As I watched the documentary "Being Elmo" last night I was struck with the importance of doing what we love. That's why I love partnering with people like Tim Coons and The Blackthorn Project. It's an opportunity for me to pour in all my talents and skills to help someone else. And that makes me happy.

On Life

I'll be 30 in less than 3 months now. I reflected on this last night in the fading light of dusk on my back porch. Wondering what my life has been so far. I've never really known hardship I realized. Most, if not all, of my struggles have always been with myself. I've never known hunger. I've never gone without a roof over my head or clothes on my back. For the better part of my life I've been a selfish brat. But I'm learning. Learning how to give back. Learning how to love others. Learning that my life is not meant for me alone.