All we have to do is turn on the television to hear about the 99% vs. the 1%, the 53% vs. the 47%, or those who have vs. those who have not.

Personally, I don’t believe class envy is representative of the ideals we’ve always shared as Americans.

I have admired and gravitated towards those who dream big, my entire life.

My father started his own company, after retiring from a well-known global corporation. I’ve made friends with several people who have acted on their dream to start a business for themselves.

I’ve watched friends come out of our current economic downturn with a strong sense of resurgence, because they refused to quit. In some cases they’ve acted upon dreams of the past. In other cases they have redefined themselves, to become stronger than they were before.

I’ve written about small business owners and others who have acted on big dreams, before having the chance to experience the joy of entrepreneurship first-hand. I have also supported entrepreneurs around the globe with my keyboard and wallet, as I believe the desire to dream big is a global pursuit.

During the past few years, I have had the honor to serve some small businesses and non-profits. Just this week, I’ve worked with two new clients who have dared to dream – one a small business and the other a new non-profit.

There are some things in common with all small businesses owners I encounter. I don’t hear them speak about envy, though starting a small entity is always a challenge. I seldom hear them talk about what they cannot do, but always hear them talk about what they can do – and will do!

While I know dreaming big is not unique to Americans, I know there is something special about living in America. I also believe that as Americans, we possess a special confidence and a need to act on our dreams – to give it a shot!

I salute those who choose to tune out the “small talk” and instead channel their efforts towards dreaming big!

Warmer days remind me that spring is right around the corner.

Spring reminds me of agriculture – the small backyard gardens and expansive plots.

Agriculture reminds me of success.

There is quite a parallel between agriculture and reaching goals, in that procrastination is not tolerated in either pursuit.

Regardless of the extent we choose to plant, there will be a season of preparing the ground, sowing the seeds, caring for the crops and harvesting.

And regardless of the goals we pursue, there are seasons of preparation, seasons of putting our plans into action, long seasons of building upon our actions and modifying as needed, and finally a time to reap the rewards.

It’s nice to have the warmer January days, as a reminder that the seasons have a way of changing quickly. The time to move to the next set of action steps is always right around the corner.

Procrastination is not an option.

Video is a 24/7 online tool!

How will you tell your story – not necessarily what you do, but who you ARE?

Why not put together a networking strategy for 2012?

When we stand to preserve and spread freedom, we often do it together. Yet when we stand to gain freedom, there are times when we are divided and the opposition is violent and fierce.

That is why a visit to the Martin Luther King National Historic Site was so important to me this weekend. While it was my forth visit, it was by far the most meaningful. It was the most meaningful visit, because my children were with me – members of a younger generation.

I don’t personally remember the Civil Rights Movement, because while I was alive, I was too young to know or understand what was happening.

It wasn’t so long ago, however, when our country was much less free than it was today.

I wanted my children to see Ebenezer Baptist Church and the birth home of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was an added bonus to hear Christine King Farris, sister of the civil rights icon, speak and then receive a signed children’s book she wrote titled, My Brother Martin.

I wanted them to venture outside of the classroom to learn more about his life and the lives of so many who stood up during the Civil Rights Movement in a peaceful, yet powerful way.

I wanted them to see the photos and learn more about an ordinary American who decided to stay seated in a dignified way, on a divided bus. I wanted them to learn more about those ordinary citizens who sat down at the lunch counters. And so, my children were able to learn a little more about Rosa Parks and many others whose names we cannot recall, this past weekend.

While exhibits at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change were quite modest and contained in one room for the most part, perhaps it was the simplicity that proved to be so powerful.

Today as we celebrate the MLK Holiday, we recall that the struggle for freedom is filled with pain and struggle and sacrifice – and is to be never taken for granted.

America is a better nation today than it once was, because a powerful leader led, many stayed seated and many stood up and marched.

I’m happy that my children had the chance to get a glimpse of what the struggle for freedom looks like, so that we may never take freedom for granted.

As I watched some videos on YouTube tonight and noticed a very few “dislikes” for some of the most well-known speeches given by Dr. King, it reminded me of a discussion I had this weekend with a gentleman while we were standing in line to meet Christine King Farris.

While the color of our skin was different, our thoughts were the same.

The gentleman said to me, “You know, I think we have come a long way as a country. There are some blacks and some whites who will always dislike the other race. We can never convert them, no matter what we may do or say. We just need to remember that the fringes don’t represent everyone and we must be happy for the fact that they represent the minority.”

Our conversation was a tangible sign to my children that the struggle, while difficult, was important for America and that our country is better and stronger for the struggle.

Being a baseball fan, I have one single New Year’s Resolution each year: “I will swing for the fences and run out every ground ball.”

While my resolution isn’t specific or measurable, it does the trick for me.

Resolve, however, indicates a way of life. It signifies a lifestyle where we refuse to give up and refuse to give in. Resolve signals firmness of purpose of intent.

Resolve lasts well past the second or third week of January.

For me personally, resolve has required me to stick with the things that work and cast aside the things that do not – in a surgical manner and not in a way that throws away the proverbial “baby with the bathwater.”

Resolve has caused me to be purposeful in redefining myself and the offerings I provide in my business. I believe that if we aren’t prepared to redefine ourselves, then we are not prepared to grow. I have found this to be particularly important during the past few years.

Resolve has helped me to remain resolute in my faith, when things don’t always seem to make sense.

Resolve has caused me to “sharpen the saw” and try out new hobbies.

Resolve has caused me to keep things in perspective, as I solve opportunities throughout the year.

So, here is to a year filled with resolve and without the senseless resolutions that will be gone well before the spring.

May 2012 contain the proper amount of risk and the right amount of reward for you.

 Happy New Year!

While the outlook for my business is looking even better for 2012, there are times when a little extra money and a discount can be a good thing. For many of us, this past month was one of those times.

I took a position with a national department store chain and worked in replenishment. This involved unloading the delivery trucks and stocking inventory on the sales floor, typically before the store opened.

At first, I was embarrassed to take a position I would have filled many years ago, as an operations manager for a national drugstore chain, right out of college. It seemed that so many people I knew in the area shopped at this store. So, when I saw someone I knew coming down an aisle, I felt uncomfortable.

After all, entrepreneurs and former Vice Presidents of Marketing are not supposed to be unloading trucks and stocking shelves, are they? I became friends with a few other business owners who typically worked the same 6am to 10am shift I did. They also worked diligently to grow their own businesses during the time they were not working in the store.

The early morning hours were ideal for me; however the lack of hours was not ideal at all, as the store came up short on its sales projections. So as a result, all of the seasonal helpers were less than pleased with the schedule. I could identify, given the fact that I worked a total of four hours during the week of Christmas.

My part-time seasonal job ended today.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. Some people pay for gym memberships in order to get their exercise – I had an opportunity to get in some intensive exercise and receive payment, as nominal as it was. I also had the opportunity to be part of a larger team, for a short while.

There are times when the life of a small business owner can be a solitary life.

As I drove home this morning, I thought about lessons learned from my experience. Typically, I look for something new that I may have gained with each experience.

Did I learn anything new? There was really nothing new to be learned during a part-time seasonal stint, filled with periodic spurts of manual labor. At times, I felt as if I were trapped in a bad episode of “Undercover Boss,” playing the role of the “other guy” used as a prop to cover up the fact that the CEO was undercover and trying to learn more about his organization.

Did I learn anything that could benefit me in growing my business? No, not really.

What I did learn is that the lessons of old, taught to me by my parents still applies today, as they did when I was a young boy.

Doing all we can do, whenever we can do it is the right thing to do. Rising above pride, in order to something we might not normally consider only makes us better. All work is good work.

I could almost hear my parents telling me these things. In fact, I could almost hear myself telling my children the very same things – as I have many times.

Stepping out beyond pride is something to be looked upon favorably.

So, I salute not only the part-time seasonal employees I met during the past several weeks, but also the many I do not know who took it upon themselves to go the extra mile in order to provide for their families. Some of the people I met worked multiple part-time jobs, in order to make ends meet during the holiday season.

And I salute my parents for instilling values in me which remain with me to this day. These values help me to do what is necessary and to serve clients with the strong sense of dedication that they deserve.

These are the sorts of values that surpass seasons and serve as a common thread for people all across America who do what is necessary, when it is necessary, no matter the personal cost, to get the job done.

There are times when new lessons learned are not needed. Sometimes we just need to be reminded about the lessons of old.

The tree changes every year, with new ornaments making their way to the tree and others staying in the trunk for the season. We can’t possibly fit all of them on our tree!

In a way, our Christmas tree almost serves as a personal seasonal fingerprint for my family.

And like the tree itself, each Christmas season is also different for all of us.

Some of us have a hard time during the holiday season, as we miss family and friends who are no longer with us. Others have a sense of dread, as we pretend to get along with family members we see only once or twice each year. How many of us can identify with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?

So, some of us experience a season of disappointment, as we yearn for relationships that are no longer there, or yearn for a holiday season with the peace and innocence illustrated in a Norman Rockwell painting.

Why is it that many of us put so much pressure on ourselves during the holiday season?

My wish is that we all experience the reason for the season, in a way that may be typical of years’ past, or in a way that is unique, yet meaningful for this year.

May we remember those who are no longer with us, block out the distractions of the season (both the commercialism and persons who bring lots of noise and little personal value), come closer to family we hold dear and draw near to our friends.

I’ve often said that good friends are the family members we have the honor to pick.

Like my Christmas tree, this holiday season will be unique, cherished and filled with memories.

May this holiday season be a special one for you and your family.

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa!

We reflect on the 2,402 Americans who were killed and the 1,247 who were injured.

December 7, 1941 is remembered as a day in which the United States was pulled into a war in which it had no interest in joining. A series of global conflicts had been going on for some time, yet the United States saw no value in getting involved in them – in the beginning.

Yet on December 7, the choice to of whether to become involved had passed. The time to mobilize was upon us.

And so, our men and women eagerly joined the military and fought around the world, while citizens all around the country mobilized in our factories to produce weapons and war material which helped to lead to “absolute victory.”

Every citizen in the United States played a role, in one way or another, in eradicating Nazism and Fascism that clouded the world at that time.

So while we remember December 7, 1941 as the day the United States entered into World War II, we also remember it as a time when America stepped forward to lead the forces of evil into defeat.

Remembering is important because it helps to remind us of what is important and allows us think about the costs associated with the sacrifice.

In this era of hearing about the “99% vs. the 1%” and the “53% vs. the 47%,” we are divided. We are divided, I believe, because many in our country have become “soft.”

Many choose to place an emphasis on fairness, instead of on commitment.

Many have forgotten that America is the land of a fair shot and not a fair share.

Because many of our students no longer have the sense of appreciation for American history, a painting of George Washington crossing the Potomac River portrays what many see as “just another boat ride.” We often forget the divided feeling among the colonists and the constant internal battles that General Washington faced one year after crossing the Potomac.

Often we just want the short version of events.

This particular year and this particular Veterans Day has special meaning for me, during an era when many seek out the quick resolution during challenging times.

This past July, my family and I traveled up to Patriots Point, SC to meet with family members I had not seen in thirty years. While their destination was Atlanta, we decided to make a trip up to South Carolina, so that we could spend some special time aboard the USS Yorktown CV-10.

We had been aboard the battleship before – and even spent the night. What we had not done before, was walk aboard the ship with my second cousins – cousins of my mother. My second cousin Albert served on the USS Yorktown CV-10 during its last tour of duty.

It was fascinating to tour the ship with Albert and it was special to watch the expression on my son’s face as he heard some of the stories and had a chance to learn about what life was like on the ship. We toured areas of the ship that we had seen before, but with even more insight and respect.

I was particularly struck by Albert’s wife Rosie, who didn’t miss one opportunity to take photos that would have special meaning to Albert, once they returned home. More than once, I saw Rosie’s eyes tear up a bit as she talked about the pride she has for Albert’s service and the strength she had to draw upon, while taking care of business at home.

We often forget about the total commitment that the families of our service members have to our country, during times of war and peace.

Also on this trip, my family also had a chance to meet Eddie, a new member of our family, who proudly served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. His pride in the USMC shines through – as has often been said, a Marine does not retire and a Marine’s love of country never wanes.

This was a very special trip to Patriots Point for all of us.

It was a special experience to delve past the history books and school curriculum to look into the eyes of heroes who served across the world and at home.

So on this Veterans Day, we reflect on the values of heroism, patriotism, determination and commitment.

Perhaps our reflection also reminds us that we’re thankful that our military heroes chose not to seek out a fair share, or quick solution.

Instead, they chose to focus on service to our country.

And when they returned, they and their families continue to serve us with their unassuming and humble examples of commitment.

And so, on Veterans Day we remember the important sacrifice and our valuable freedom that has been preserved. We remember the price paid by our service members and their families.