Why am I here??

It's been a testing time recently, and in a lot of ways these are the times when you have to take stock and ask yourself good questions. So I'll start with - Why am I here?

Well taking that as the lead I thought I'd let you know why I started this blog.  The theme that 'Starting a Business in the Credit Crunch is Great' sounds a very positive one, and so it should be.  As I listened to the debate on BBC This Week last night on cynicism or scepticism and (I think it was Michael Portillo) it was said that scepticism is heathly (questioning of motives) and cynicism is a disease, a debilitating mind set which is all too often these days the first and primary response.  I have to agree to a point, it is becoming so much easier these days to be cynical and the glass half empty response is given more credibility than a glass half full response.

It has been a tough 18 months for the country for all kinds of reasons and even from the 'half-full' viewpoint that is the reality.  However, that's where I do draw the line (after a bit of a moan of course).  Recent events seem to me to show a growing mindset from some quarters that we are looking back and down as the norm.  Now as someone who does a bit of walking I've yet to achieve much in the way of distance by walking this way.  I'm pretty sure that isn't what Run DMC and Aerosmith were meaning either.  If you travel forward whilst looking back and down it doesn't take long for you to hit something or end up with something nasty on your shoe.

I started this blog to say look, I'm here and I'm looking forward.  There may be a recession, but then there is never a wrong time to take control of your life, dream a dream and go for it.  I've mentioned my Dr Pepper moment before and I'm not sure if I was extremely cynical that I'd have been able to give a measured and positive response to 'What's the worst that can happen'. 

I started this blog not to say, look at how well everything I touch is going, let me just put that point to bed now.  It's been tough and very, very loney running the business, and for someone who has boughts of depression that isn't a good combination.  But you know what? I wouldn't change it! I'm now doing something that makes me happy.  That isn't to say it just puts me in a happy mood, I have a genuine deep feeling that this rocky path is MY path, it's taken me a while to find it but it's the right one for me.

So whilst times are tough and the air of cynicism is seemingly growing it is up to all of us as individuals to do the things that are guaranteed to make us happy, learn from mistakes (but don't be afraid to make them) and raise our heads and turn them forward.  Then we'll all get where we are going a lot quicker and with a few less (smelly) bruises!