Responsibility

All my life I've been the responsible one.  I always did my homework, woke myself up (on time), made breakfast, scheduled appointments, did the things that needed to be done.  Sure, I wasn't always perfect, but I did always take everything seriously.  I followed instructions and treated people with respect.

That's who I am.  But can I be honest?  Sometimes I hate it!  Sometimes, I really just want to hand over the reigns and let someone else do all the work.  This becomes even more obvious when running a business.

Before I go on a small rant, I have to state that I love what I do.  I love owning a business and I love the line of work I'm in.  There's no doubt about that.  But, so many people seem to think being a business owner means I can vacation whenever I want and I live a carefree lifestyle.  That's most definitely not true.

Being a business owner means you're always thinking about work.  You don't really get a day off, because even if you're not physically at work you're calling work or work is calling you.  You're expected to know everything and fix everything.  There is at least one person who is always mad at or upset with you, no matter how nice or accommodating you are.  If you have employees you are constantly learning 1 thing: There is FAR too much stupidity in the world. 

Have you seen the commercial for the world's toughest job?  Here, take a moment to take a look.

http://youtu.be/HB3xM93rXbY

OK, so we all know this ad is about mothers now.  However, when I first saw the ad all I could think of was, "This must be about small business owners."

So, apparently, owning a small business is like being a mom.  And now I'm about to be a mom.  Crap!

I guess what I'm saying is that I'd love to have a chance to have zero responsibilities.  I'd love to be able to not worry about my bank account or what's happening here and just jet off somewhere fun.  I'd love to be carefree and without a concern.  Maybe this will happen some day, but it hasn't happened yet, and I'm exhausted.

Like I said earlier, I really do love what I do.  I love having final say over things.  I love seeing this small business grow into something wonderful.  It's quite fulfilling to witness all my dreams come true.  I've definitely learned that I have some wonderful friends and family out there: people who are willing to put their lives on hold and come out to help me when I'm desperate.  That's fantastic.  So, I don't want anyone to read this and think I'm miserable.  I'm just trying to put the reality of it out there.

Being responsible is hard work.  It's exhausting work.  It's often unfair work.  It pays off in the end (usually), but whatever reward is received is definitely hard-earned.  So, the next time you see me, if I look tired or rundown, or if I seem a bit cranky, take it easy on me.  It just means I'm working extra hard at making my dreams come true.