1. Customers are enlightened and smart and are looking for the best, so it keeps you striving to be the best you can be.

2. The internet! Need I say more? Spam and popups notwithstanding, the internet is the greatest miracle thats happened for business since electricity.

3. Your colleagues. There is something so heart-warming and great about being able to connect with other people who are passionate about the same thing you are.

4. Your customers! Knowing that what you do provides value in the world helps give life meaning.

5. Building wealth. Whether its slow in coming or pouring in like a river, we are SO blessed with opportunity sometimes we dont even see the enormity of it. Imagine what your life would have been like 434 years ago (in 1621, the year of the first American Thanksgiving) and compare it to now. Helps put it all in perspective, doesnt it?

6. Giving back. We are so blessed we continually give back with all we do. Whether you give to great charities like www.Seva.org or www.heifer.org or donate your old coats, it is a blessing that we are in a position to give things back. As service professionals we are also blessed in that our work feels like giving back all the time.

7. Great information. Whether its through this newsletter or in the hundreds of other places you get what youre looking for, it has never been easier to find the support you need to build your business.

8. Your family. Being in business can be tough on relationships, but its also made richer when you focus on why youre doing it all. Building a great life for yourself and the ones you love is a great part of that.

9. Finding your voice. Learning how to market your services is all about finding your voice and figuring out how you uniquely bring value to the world. Imagine getting paid while youre figuring that out too!

10. Growing as a person. I always say: being in business for yourself is the most confronting and best thing you can do to grow as a person. What a gift!