The Time Is Right Now...

This being my very first piece for TheStar Tribune and its readers, I want to start by saying "Hello Minnesota." I'lltry my best to provide quality content – in the areas of business, philosophy,and life – that is not only stimulating and thought-provoking but also, attimes, potentially a bit controversial.

I've been thinking quite a bit the pastfew weeks about this first article's focus – a subject that I am sure is closeto everyone's heart right now: Our current economy.

Life is full of experiences – good andbad. As humans, we are largely aproduct of our experiences; yet the wonderful thing that sets us apart from allthe others in the animal kingdom is that we have the ability to make choices.We can "choose" to not only learn as much as possible – from books, mentors,listening, asking questions, etc. – but we also have the ability to makechoices in our life that help determine our own destiny. There are alwaysexternal factors that we cannot control, but again we have the ability to choosewhat meaning to give such events.

That being said, it seems that generationafter generation we continually go through many of the same and similarstruggles and challenges. We rarely learn from our own mistakes – repeatingthem over and over – and we seldom learn from others' mistakes either.

So, out of pure curiosity, lately I havebeen reading books from the 1920s 30s and 40s because I believe that ourcurrent economic situation is not all that much different from that era. Funnyhow things are cyclical like that. There was more wealth created during thosetimes due to people seeing the "opportunity" and choosing to make something outof it rather than letting their troubled economic environment control them. Sotoday we have a choice: are wefacing a challenge or being handed an opportunity?

On one hand, I completely recognize thatunemployment has crept up over 10%, our government is stacking on trillions andtrillions of dollars of debt, and political parties may be more widelyseparated than ever. Capital isincredibly hard to come by, and business owners – the lifeblood of our economy– are being faced to make tough decisions. Yet Americans may be stronger andcloser to one another than we know, and when the going gets tough, the toughget together and get going.

So today I would like to convey thismessage:

The time is right now to go after thedreams you've always had. The timeis right now to push each other a little bit further and harder. The time is right now to "choose" tosee the good in all of the bad.The time is right now to take life by the horns, and the time is rightnow to follow your heart and truly live life.

Why? Never before has there been theopportunity there is now to truly set yourself apart, and never before have webeen as forced to be better. Neverbefore has it been any harder, and never before have we needed to dig deeper tofind the courage, belief, and determination necessary to succeed.

I look at this time in our history as agreat opportunity – probably once in a lifetime – for many, includingmyself. A once in a lifetimeopportunity to turn lemons into lemonade and to decide on our own destiny.

What does this mean for you out there whohave had a great idea brewing for some time, or think you may be anentrepreneur at heart?

The time is right now.

Times like these are great because it's aDarwinist way of weeding out the weak from the strong. As ruthless as that is, it's what makescapitalism thrive. Why not decideto go the extra mile and think outside the box? Why not be the best? Why notset yourself apart from the rest? It all boils down to choices.

My suggestion is to give it a shot. Whatdo you have to lose? Nothing risked, nothing gained. They very best ideasduring a very challenging economic environment are still coming tofruition….WHY? Because being mediocre just won't cut it in times likethese. It forces all of usto be better, and it is a conscious choice to be the best.