Run away from your problems.

Just one ad.

You may not remember the ad, but it was a Nike ad. I think it came out when I was in high school. I've remembered it for it's many layers of meaning. I've remembered it because I've felt like running from everything at times in my life.

Now I am running. (4.6 miles today) As I ran, I remembered this ad again. There is just something about being alone on the road at 6AM. Just you and world.

You're not racing anyone. You're just seeing if you can do it. You make choices at intersections knowing that whichever choice you make, you are the only one who can get you back home. When you make it back, you are exhausted, but energized. You did it. No one else.

I like starting the day with a victory. Running, just making it back from the course, is a victory. Then I remembered this ad. How many ads yours, mine or anyone else's have you remembered from high school? As you start marketing, don't just list your attractions say "Family Fun!" and write the check to the newspaper. Try to connect with people. Try to have your ads mean something.

I had writers block yesterday, but I came up with all this on the road this morning.

Who says you can't run away from your problems?

Have a great week.
 -Hugh

Prove or Be.

Just what are you trying to prove? I remember when I was a young lad fresh out of college, wet behind the ears, a whippersnapper. I entered the world of adults with something to prove. I needed internally and externally to prove that I belonged with the grown-ups, that I had something to contribute, that I had worth, value. I needed to show my Dad, my peers, my colleagues and the world that I could add something. I had to prove my worth, earn respect, earn my keep, build my bona fides.

Ever feel that way? I bet, if you're reading this, you did and probably still do. I started early and worked late. I tried everything, hustled, connected, slept at the office, grabbed my bootstraps and hauled myself up "American Dream-style", fighting tooth and nail, ignoring the critics, kickin' a**, gettin' kicked, waking up the next morning and doing it all again. That's what it's all about, baby.

That's what it should be all about. I fully believe in the American Dream and those early years of any business are the crucible in which you burn off the weak and hard the steel of the few brave enough to never quit. I often hear from farmers, clients and friends "If it were easy, everybody'd do it." It ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

Somedays, now in our 15th season, it occurs to me that I'm still that scrappy 22 year old doggedly fighting those old fights. I'm still scappin' it out often with that near desperation to "prove" something. It's just that now, I can't figure out what I'm trying to prove to whom! That's when it occurred to me that there is and naturally should be a transition for business owners from "Prove" to "Be."

In a sermon from Andy Stanley, Andy shines a light on the fact that many of us go through life doing what we do, believing what we believe without examining the belief system we're using! Why do you think about money the way you do? Why do you think about relationships the way you do? Why do you think about employees the way you do? Why do you get so mad when someone disrespects you? Why do you defer to an older employee?

We never look at the systems of belief, we just keep plugging away with our heads down. So, this week, I decided to pick my head up for a moment.

When I looked around. So, I looked around at me and my actions, motivations, feelings (I always panic in early August when the money is spent getting the park ready, I remember October's crazy zillions of people days and only an "August amount" of people show up.), and behaviors. I quickly realized that I was thinking and behaving like a 22 year old newbie. Making choices like a scrapper. Feeling desperate to prove something like I did way back when. While some of these feelings keep you fresh and motivated, they can also tear you up inside.

Allow yourself to ripen. It occurred to me that I needed to mentally permit myself to ripen. I'm not scrappin' a new business. I'm piloting a successful one. I (and you) should not be using the decision making lens from 10 years ago to run your business today. It's OK to allow yourself some room, some margin, to have more freedom now than you did before. It's OK to ripen. You should no longer be green!

Be, not Prove. The biggest shift in viewpoint is from Prove to Be. Prove is what you were doing - scrappin', kickin', clawin', fightin'. Be is being comfortable doing what you're doing. You ARE proving a good experience for your guests. You DO already have a clientele. You ARE allowed to be successful. You must now BE the quality person, establishment, place, experience you worked so hard to develop, to build, to create.

To Be does not equal To Stop. I am by no means advocating you "coast" or "rest on your laurels". To Be means you still are the motivated person that got you to the place you are today. To Be means you allow yourself let go of the frenetic pace of a start-up business and be internally OK with that. To Be means you can take a lunch break. To Be means you evaluate decisions applying your long term perspective instead of fighting fires all day, every day. To Be means you do not feel guilty leaving work at 5PM to go to the pool with your kids. To Be means you are more efficient and get more done in less time at the office.

Do you know who you would like To Be? When was the last time you looked up from your daily grind to examine the belief/behavior systems under which you operate? Are you still trying desperately trying to prove something to someone? What are you proving? To whom are you trying to prove it? Do these people know you're trying to prove something to them? Does any of that really matter?

Has Proving been wearing you out? I've been Proving for so very long it has worn me out. When I really think about it, my wife, Dad, kids and family already love me as I am. People who visit the Fun Park have good family time together. Our franchise clients generated over $3.5 million dollars for their collective family farms last year.

Maybe, just maybe, it's time for you and me to quit Proving and just Be.

Have a great week,
Hugh