My (Jesse) high school counselor said, “If there’s no tension between the time you invest in your work life and the time you invest in your family life, then you are living half-a-life.” Today, this makes so much sense to me.
I know some fathers who leave for work before their kids are awake and arrive home just in time to tuck their kids in at night. I honor these fathers for sacrificing themselves to provide for their family.
But I also feel deeply sad about it.
I can’t imagine not being around to see my kids grow up. To watch them take their first steps... to watch them tie their shoe for the first time or do the happy dance after they pee in the toilet for the first time.
And what about the kids? …that gnawing hole in their heart that no amount of money, presents, or sorry can heal.
This is particularly relevant for me today. This morning our 6-year old, Jacob, woke up and asked, “Is the nanny coming today?” “Yes she is,” I said. “Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! I want you and Mommy!”
I try to rationalize my guilt away... Our boys have fallen asleep in our arms nearly every day of their life (even when I am leading events, they sleep with Sharla). 
The guilt sets in. Am I becoming the father I swore I wouldn’t become? I take an inventory of the last two months. I was away from my boys around 20 days, speaking or leading events.
When I am away leading events, our boys are with nannies who love them as if they were their own children.
And, when I am not leading events, I spend at least three quality hours with them each day (and often more).
It wasn’t like we were off in Vegas gambling away our family fortune. But the truth sets in. I am about to leave for another three-day event tomorrow. The Client Attraction Summit. Once I arrive, I will remember my passion. I will remember why I love our people so much and why I care so deeply for each of our clients’ success. And they will get an event worth travelling across the globe for. But right now, I am deeply saddened. I miss my boys. And I miss the feeling of being the best father I know I can be.
We led four profound events that dramatically changed people’s lives. And I spoke at Eben Pagan’s exclusive Metamind event in front of over 100 thought leaders about what it takes to create a community of transformational leaders. Dozens of people approached me after my 18-minute talk to tell me what a difference I made for them.
So how do I prepare myself for the event when I am feeling so sad about leaving my boys? I do what I tell all of our speakers to do in our Six-Figure Speaker program. Bring all of you to the event.
For those of you who I will see tomorrow at the Summit, I bring my sadness, which is fueled by my devotion to being the best father I can be.
I bring my fierceness. Since we are all going to leave our lives at home, I will do everything in my God-Given power to make this the best Client Attraction Summit we’ve ever had. None of us are going to return home the same (in a good way). ☺
And finally, I bring my integrity. To be in integrity with myself, my boys, Sharla, our team, and the entire Thrive Community… it is time to finally make a change that has needed to happen for two years, even though I just recognized it the last month.
For the past 10 years, we’ve led at 18 or more events per year. This is just what we did. Next year we are going to lead 12 events. This makes me so happy I want to do somersaults across the room!
This means that our family, our team and our clients can breathe more deeply, and enjoy more spaciousness in between the transformation they get at our events.
32 of our most invested “Lifetime” clients (our people who have a ticket to all of our programs for the rest of their lives) helped us come up with this new schedule and everyone in our community who has heard about the changes either gets excited or breathes a sigh of deep relief.
You should know that next year, instead of leading six Client Attraction Summits, we will only be leading three Summits. And we are making a few other changes that will bring greater alignment, integrity, and power to our programs.
If you are already signed up for Thrive Academy Programs, you will get an email with our 2015 schedule next week.
It’s time for us to move more deeply into the energy of Thrive... where everyone thrives and nobody sacrifices that which is most important.
Being an entrepreneur means you get to set your own schedule and you get to live life on your terms.
Do you have to sacrifice family for success? NO!!!!
Your success is your gift to yourself, it’s not a sacrifice.
How can you change your schedule to bring you more freedom, creativity and power?
