Leaving and
living a legacy

Three years after that fateful day on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., we stop to reflect on what matters most, and why we're in business.

Do you remember where you were three years ago on Sept. 11? Where was your focus the week before that day? Did it shift the week after? I know mine did.

On that day we saw examples of courage under fire, incredible bravery, and selfless acts to help those who couldn't help themselves -- a day where all cultures, races, and faces united as one to face the challenge they were dealt by no fault of their own.

Any time that life comes with challenges and obstacles outside of our normal routine, it serves as the jolt we need to refocus, readjust, and reprioritize.

I'd like to propose that we use this day each year to do that on our own. Reflect on what we've done over the past year in our businesses or jobs that will leave a lasting impact on the lives we touch each day.

As I'm taking time away from the demands of being in business this month, I'm spending my vacation in New York and New Jersey, visiting family and catching up with dear friends. During this much-needed break, I'm reminded of what matters most in life and the purpose of why I am in business.

Our friend Ernie said it best yesterday. We were talking story in the middle of his newly constructed million-dollar home. His adorable, 6-year-old boy was climbing on his back, up and over his shoulders, happy to be with his dad. "This is the only thing that really matters in life," Ernie reflected, "my children. Not all this other stuff."

This is a couple who has their priorities right. As much as they're about to enjoy moving into their new home, creating lifelong memories for their children, they also know the purpose of their business is more than merely providing for their own family.

Whether it's touching a small part of your immediate community or touching millions, building a business is not just a matter of providing monetary benefits for you, or your family.

Being in business brings with it the responsibility and the opportunity to touch thousands or millions in your immediate community and beyond.

This businessman has so many good friends who regard him highly, and it's because of how you feel when you're with him. He's real, funny, down-to-earth, and has his priorities in order. He probably doesn't even realize how many people love him and think fondly of him and his wife. And that's because he's not doing it for others -- he's just being himself, using the gifts and talents he's been blessed with to bless others.

As we remember 9/11 this year, and honor the heroes who lived their legacy as much as they left their legacy for all of us to remember them by, let's use this day and these memories as a reminder for what matters most in life.

You were created for a purpose. Your business was also created for a purpose. Re-evaluating that purpose each year will make your time in your business more meaningful and motivating. What do you want to be remembered for when you leave this world?