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Welcome! Let The Leaping Begin!

Welcome to the LeapBlog! I am sure you are wondering who am I , what is The LeapBlog, and what is Leap272. You are probably even wondering why I am writing it. Let me try to answer.

I am sure you have learned by now that my name is Kevin Williams. I am a simple man with a complicated mind. I am have officially been a small business owner for over 25 years – if you want to count all the entrepreneurial activities from my childhood and teenage years, then add another 10 or so years to that.

Leap272 is my latest venture, if you will. It has a lot of moving parts and more will be revealed as I go. The LeapBlog is one component and will serve as the hub for all my written content. It is my documentation of what I am doing in Leap272 and the other operational businesses that I run. I am documenting the journey, transition, and intersection of my professional and personal life and activities…and I’m bringing you into the story. Looking back, access to something like this would have been very helpful when I was starting out – not to mention super interesting. I hope to impart some wisdom, some laughter, and some don’t do this at home stories…and a bunch of everything else in between.

I hope you find it interesting and somewhat educational – at least you will get to know the inner workings of my mind…no easy task! And, if this experiment becomes an exercise in futility, at least my kids will know a little bit more about what their dad did in the office all day…not to mention it keeps me honest and accountable!

I don’t always understand my mind so I am sure you won’t either. But it’s quite an adventure, so please, follow along and enjoy the ride.

Kevin W
@Leap272

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt 5: Delivering The Goods

“I thought I had an appetite for destruction, but all I wanted was a club sandwich” – Homer

I admitted in a previous part that I was neither much of a fan of bread or grilled cheese, the all-American sandwich. Here is another dirty little secret for you; I didn’t even like mustard at the time I tasted my first midnight snack, but it worked and I loved it. That might have been what planted the seed of ingredients and flavor profiles that would influence my craft to come. So what is it about a well-constructed sandwich that makes a mustard hater enjoy mustard?

Is it the combination of flavors, the type of meat in the middle, the bread, the fried egg? Is all the above true?

So, then, what makes a perfect sandwich? The first criteria is that the finished product must be greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, everything in the middle must have a role and add to, not dominate or diminish. That said, there is no middle without the bread. How important is bread? Well, it’s the first point of contact so its responsibility is raised high above the bar. It must deliver the goods, contain the goods, protect the goods… You get the idea; the bread is the vehicle that delivers the package, yet doesn’t leave it at the door step and drive away. No, the bread remains for the entire journey, so it better be good.

There is nothing worse than a package that doesn’t deliver, whether it’s too tough to open, smashed in transit, or crumbled on take off, ruining the meal before it is started. I have had far too many of these and much too many that actually have the taste and texture of an actual cardboard package. I simply can’t even count how many awful meals I’ve had all due to bad bread. Be it stale, be it frail, if the bread can’t perform whatever lies between is irrelevant; the meal is done.

The art of ‘WichCraft is so simple yet so complex. It requires vision, creativity, design, architecture, and cohesion. But most of all it requires some thoughtfulness and a little common sense. Why? Because no matter how well thought out, how well planned, how well constructed, if the vessel doesn’t work, it all breaks down. 

We have all had that breakdown on the side of a plate, right? It’s awful, isn’t it?

It makes you ask, how does this happen? What kind of an idiot can’t make a fucking sandwich? Well, all kinds of idiots I guess because I have had far too many crappy sandwiches. Common sense; don’t use stale bread, don’t use frail bread. Don’t use too much and don’t use too little. Don’t use bread that can’t make the delivery! Is there anything worse than a sandwich that completely falls apart an inch before the first bite? How about a sandwich with bread so hard it cuts the roof of your mouth like too much Captain Crunch? It’s really not that hard, just use good, fresh bread.

To that point, dare I say bread is the most important component of a sandwich?

I do not dare say anything at this point in our little journey for I have only just begun to slice into it. I will say, however, everything has a role in crafting the perfect sandwich. All components have a reason and must play well with others and do their part. 

So then,  what is the star of a sandwich? Does bread hold the lead or just a supporting role?

Let’s look in the middle before I answer that.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt 4: The Leftover Sandwich

I had to grin and bear it many times out of hunger and respect, because I knew what the alternative was…Deviled ham from the little can wrapped in paper with a little devil on it, just typing it makes my mouth salty and cringy.

“Life is good when you have a good sandwich.” – Keanu Reeves

I have no memory of life without sandwiches. As you must know by now, I have fond memories of food. Food was always an integral part of celebrations, holidays, and casual gatherings, just to name a few. Perhaps that association helped fuel my passion that eventually became what it is today. It’s not unlike my love for coffee; it goes beyond the final product itself. It has as much to do with what having a cup of coffee has meant over the years. Everything that has been shared and experienced over a simple hot beverage has contributed to the memories and fondness of coffee. There has also been so much shared over a meal in my life. Meals from simple to complex, have been a catalyst for so much life to happen.

Coffee, cookies, and a sandwich; one of the three always seem to be offered upon a visit. To my parents, my grandparents, or just about anyone, I can always be assured one of the three. I sure do miss my Grandma and her cookies, but today is about sandwiches. She could make a good sandwich, but hers were not always my favorite, I must admit. Simply because she didn’t always have the proper meat or filling for my taste. Besides, she buttered the inside, I always thought that was weird. She always had liverwurst, for which I just didn’t have a taste for as a kid.

I had to grin and bear it many times out of hunger and respect, because I knew what the alternative was…Deviled ham from the little can wrapped in paper with a little devil on it, just typing it makes my mouth salty and cringy.  That was another thing I didn’t have much of a taste for in my younger years.

I really wasn’t a fan of any meat in a can as a kid, tuna, chicken,  especially Spam! What was a treat, however, was when she was willing to make me grilled cheese. I wasn’t really a grilled cheese fan either, but my Grandma’s were the best. My guess is her secret was she probably buttered both sides of the bread. For that, the butter worked! 

I know what you are thinking; how can I even write about sandwiches when I’m not a fan of grilled cheese? Here’s the real kicker; I wasn’t much of a bread fan either! So, how then can I even discuss sandwiches? Yes, I was a bit of a picky eater, my favorite growing up was PB&J on Wonderbread. And yes, of course, I dipped it in milk! How else could I prevent the Wonderbread from turning into a paste-like substance that stuck to the roof of my mouth? Anyone from my generation knows exactly what I am talking about, and might have used a pry bar to remove said substance from the roof of their mouth on an occasion or two.. The bread that was as white as its bag, adorned with all the blue, red, and yellow dots was truly a wonder. Whether it was really bread or a wonder of science is still up for debate.

That said, my palate evolved over time. From simple to complex, as did my sandwich makings and cravings. The one I bespoke in the opening part set the stage for what was to come for me and sandwiches. For I truly believe that a sandwich is the original comfort food. That just might have to do with all the memories that come as a side to a couple slices of bread filled with whatever your imagination can conceive. It is a true creative culinary process that begins with a blank canvas that can take you just about anywhere you want to go. That is truly the beauty and essence of sandwiches and the art of ‘wichcraft…There are so many options and so little rules; the possibilities are endless, but what they create are memories that last a lifetime.

I am sitting in my new underground office as I update this one week from Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving with all the food, friends, and family. It is one of my favorite meals of the year, but what I love even more is the leftover sandwich. The Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich, yes it’s so good it needs to be bolded and capitalized. All credit for my love and ability to create a great leftover sandwich goes to my Dad. Just for this one sandwich there are endless options. The full works with every leftover from the fridge on the bread? Or simple with just turkey, mayo, lettuce, and tomato? Cold or hot? Toasted or not? My favorite version is hot. All I need is lightly toasted bread with mayo, a fried stuffing patty, warmed turkey, hot gravy, hot sauce, and to make this one of the greatest sandwiches of all time – a fried egg! Quite possibly one of the greatest lessons I learned from my dad. 

Give it  a try this year, trust me, you’ll thank me. Make sure you have the right hot sauce for it, My favorite is my Voodoo Fire or Ghosts of War or La Victoria’s orange sauce.Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt.3: Family Traditions

I grew up with a pretty close family that spent holidays and special occasions together. The meal and the food served was always very central to any occasion.

“I once went to a restaurant and ordered a chicken salad sandwich and an egg salad sandwich to see which would come first.” – Fuad Alakbarov, Exodus 

Let me return to a more current history, and of course,  sandwiches. If you recall from part 1, three of my most vivid memories from childhood involve food. I do have more than three vivid memories from childhood, and not all involve food, but many do.

Why is that? Is it because of the multiple senses involved that strengthen the memory? Is it the emotions attached to the events occurring when consuming the food? Is it the people that are there when the food is consumed, adding to the intensity of the shared experience? Or perhaps it is that I am just that obsessed with food?  If it is the latter, I would ask how I acquired this obsession? When did I acquire it? Maybe it is simply a combination of it all. Whatever the case, cause, and origin, I have a deep love for food, and those that I share it with make it even better.

So, let me take you back a bit in time. I grew up with a pretty close family that spent holidays and special occasions together. The meal and the food served was always very central to any occasion. From the Easter ham to the Thanksgiving family stuffing, to the Christmas Eve Seafood to the Corned Beef & Cabbage on St Patrick’s Day. For the most part, these meals were the same every year. They were traditional. Some of the traditions  started before my time and were passed through the generations. Others were started by my generation. To this day we still have the meal on many holidays and our kids now share the love, and obsession, of the holiday menu. The meals that changed annually were typically Easter & Christmas Day, which in itself became a tradition.

Let me not forget about the birthday dinners. As a child it was always about “what do you want for your birthday”, “what do you want to do?” That evolved into “what do you want for your birthday dinner”? The birthday celebrant was given the privilege to choose the menu to be cooked for them on the Sunday Dinner closest to their birthday. 

Sunday dinners, another long-standing tradition, provide enough memories to fill a hefty book. The food, the family, and the friends – what fond memories.

Many of the friends and family are no longer with us but the memories remain, as fond as ever. My great Uncle John, who would join us Sundays after Tata Ann passed away. My Uncle Dave with his eyebrows, cigars, financial advice, and Roquefort Steak. Uncle Gary with his jokes, infectious laughter, and shenanigans. Grandma and Grandpa Janich with his stories and her artichoke dip.  The list goes on as my parent’s home was an open, safe place for all to join. Anyone could enter and join us as there was always an open seat with the guarantee of a warm meal and a hot cup of coffee, and maybe a little something sweet.

I simply can’t express the love, the gratitude, the flavors, the aromas, the tradition, and the history that the meals and those people created for me.

This has to be the reason I love food and love to create it and share it with others even more. Our home has become the host, the place where most celebrations take place, Sunday dinners continue, where there is always an open, and most importantly, where the traditions continue to live and grow.

What does this have to do with sandwiches? I am afraid I have rambled on for too long so I’ll have to explain next time. 

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt.2: From Wence Came The ‘Wich?

Just think of all the things you can do without letting hunger stop you. You can hike, you can fish, you can even gamble if you wish.

“Sandwiches are wonderful. You don’t need a spoon or a plate” -Paul Lynde 

Before I get too deep or find myself, sandwiched between my thoughts from which I cannot escape, I would like to give thanks where thanks are due.

To whom do I thank for such a practical and delicious creation? There is often a debate on who invented the sandwich, but the consensus gives credit to the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu in 1762. Well then, John, your nobleness, thank you for your contribution to the culinary world.

I am quite sure that many civilisations prior to the time of our noble earl of Sandwich used a breadlike vehicle or two to eat their food but our friend John Montagu gets the credit.

The story has it that our nobleman was quite the profligate and gambler; I like him already. This story excites me more than an ancient tribe in loin cloth consuming the spoils of their hunt between two starchy, carby ancient grainy type things. So, it is said that our gambler was on a twenty four hour run at the table and became hungry. Understandable, that’s a long time to do anything without food. Our 4th Earl asked the cook to prepare food he could eat that would not hinder his gambling. What was presented was two pieces of toast with sliced meat in between. Genius!

That really begs the questions, did John really invent the sandwich or did the cook? For the sake of diplomacy, I will thank them both – Thank John Montagu and the nameless cook that satisfieth his hunger.

Just think of all the things you can do without letting hunger stop you. You can hike, you can fish, you can even gamble if you wish. You make your own and drive straight through, or grab one from the drive-through. Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it better with a sandwich or two.

So, to whomever invented the sandwich I am eternally grateful. If they never did, who knows what I would have walked in on my dad and uncle making for a midnight snack that fateful night. The bite that started it all could have been a disgusting bowl of porridge! My dad was known to enjoy a bowl of that too.  For now, I will thank you Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, for your gambling addiction that eventually led to my love for one the greatest foods of all, and the spark that lit the fire that would eventually ignite my passion to cook.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The Art of ‘Wichcraft, Part 1: Love at First Bite

“Tell the cook of this restaurant with my compliments that these are the very worst sandwiches in the whole world, and that, when I ask for a watercress sandwich, I do not mean a loaf with a field in the middle of it.” – Oscar Wilde

Banging, clanging, banter, and laughter…
The sounds carrying down the hall…
Followed by the brilliant aroma of something cooking.
I awake to sounds and smells, confused by the darkness.
I roll out of bed and tip toe down the hall…
Sleep maintains its grip on me, is this a dream?
The sizzles reverberate like an echo from an amp set to 11…
The laughter, louder and louder as the hallway ends.
I round the corner and peek…
“Hey kiddo, want a bite?”

What a fond and familiar scene, my dad and his younger brother, my Uncle Gary…Laughing and eating at the table in the middle of the night. Masters of the midnight snack with laughter so contagious, if only it could be packaged & sold. Yes! I want a bite and how I long to awaken once again to those two in the middle of the night.

How pivotal was that midnight bite in the course of my life I really don’t know. That was more than four decades ago but that might have been the start of it all. It was crunchy, it was messy, it was spicy, and it was absolutely delicious. It might have been the best thing I had eaten in my short life at that time. Was it simply that all things taste better late at night? Or was it the fact that my dad had mastered the craft? Which craft do you ask? The art ‘wichcraft.

In the spirit of full disclosure, similar events have taken place multiple times. So, the exact sandwich of this night escapes me but I can say this… EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!

The lightly toasted bread had the perfect crunch and provided stability for its precious cargo. A light coating of mayo & mustard to compliment the meat,perfectly fried bologna. That alone might have proved enough for most, but not for my dad. No, there were crisp dill pickle slices, a thin slice of cheese, slightly melted and…a fried egg?! OH MY! Served on a little plate with potato chips and a bottle of hot sauce. It. Was. On

There are three vivid food memories I have from childhood, this being one. One of the others also involved my dad – he would make me soft boiled eggs for breakfast and serve them in what I thought were little candle holders.He would crack the top off and give me butter, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce – yum! The other was eating lunch at My Aunt Doris’s home in Berkley, CA (my great, great aunt might I add). She made the most amazing cheesy, open faced sandwiches…yes sandwiches again… They were simply amazing. One visit she let me help her and I learned how to make them. They weren’t the first thing I learned to make, scrambled eggs were, but sandwiches became my “thing” – my first “thing” that I can recall. They became a favorite midnight snack over the years; a real treat was making a sandwich inspired by one of these memories.

Starting to see a theme? Sandwiches, eggs, and hot sauce? I’ll dive deeper later but for now it is all about sandwiches. They are one the simplest yet most complex forms of food. I know what you’re thinking, just hear me out. Anyone can make a sandwich right? Right. Everyone can make a sandwich, but not everyone can make a good sandwich. In my experience, very few can make a perfect sandwich, and there is nothing worse than a bad sandwich. There is simply no excuse for a bad sandwich!

I learned quite a few things from my dad over the years. One of the most important is that laughter is the best medicine. My Dad and Uncle Gary sure knew how to have a good laugh. Boy, was it contagious! Another related to my theme here is that hot sauce elevates just about any meal. And of course, a fried egg makes just about anything better, especially left overs.

The making of a perfect sandwich is truly an art:the art of ‘Wich Craft. My dad mastered that art and passed it on to me. Stay tuned for more on my love of sandwiches, cooking, eggs, and hot sauce in this multi-part series. But, first, I will take you on a little journey into the history of sandwiches.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
ShopColdFire.Com
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The End Part 21: Last Dance

“Her face is cracked from smiling, all the fears that she’s been hiding,
And it seems pretty soon everybody’s gonna know.
And her voice is sore from shouting, cheering winners who are losing,
And she worries if their days are few and soon they’ll have to go.

My, my, my, I’m so happy, I’m gonna join the band,
We are gonna dance and sing in celebration, We are in the promised land.”

– Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

It’s time to dust off the old dancing shoes and get back on the floor because after almost a year of silence a prospect has surfaced for Go-Go Babyz…

That was in reference to early 2024-ish when communication began with who is now the current owner of Go-Go Babyz. Why did I wait so long to resurface and share the news? If you have followed me for a while you might be able to venture a pretty good guess. I am fairly positive the answer is hidden in plain sight somewhere on this blog, quite possibly in this series.

Again, my guess consists of two answers. The first being rooted in fear. Isn’t that always the root somehow? Everything seems to lead back to fear when we really drill down and peel off all the layers. In this case, it was the fear of failure once again. Fear that the current deal would once again crumble and tumble as did the previous one. You would think I would now be full of confidence and trust with all the experience and lessons I have acquired over the years.  That is true, I do have a lot of confidence. The exception in this particular deal is how easy the entire process was. It became a case of “this is too good to be true” as the process presented very little points of contention between both sides. As a matter of fact, the only real difficulties were a result of some technical issues faced when trying to produce documentation for the buyer. Once that bump was overcome, it was smooth sailing. 

The second is a recurring theme through my life and career; procrastination. I let too much time lapse before I tackled this that it became difficult to garner the inspiration to sit down at the desk and start typing. The cob webs were tough to clear away so I continued to procrastinate. Running the restaurant didn’t help provide the needed time either. There have been some major changes on that front allowing me to take this time on a Friday morning to work on this. The sharing of that is for another time in the near future. 

For the time being, I will focus on the final dance that took place nearly one year ago. The ink has dried, the lights are no longer shining on the dance floor. I have successfully sold the remaining assets of Go-Go Babyz Corp, the business that brought so much to our family and provided so much to my growth as an entrepreneur. 

The entire journey of Go-Go Babyz has been quite a dance. Sometimes I led, sometimes I followed, and others I sat out and watched from the darkest corner of the room waiting for the right moment to jump back in and build the confidence to take the lead again and say what I wanted to say.

What a dance indeed. I have stumbled, fallen, twirled, and tripped, but in the end it was quite a success. What a ride and what a dance it has been. The question is, are my dancing days over? Is it time to hang up and retire my shoes? The answer; I am much too young to stop dancing, life would be much too boring. 

I will happily report that this last dance is only with Go-Go Babyz. There has indeed been more since, and I just might be dancing as I write this. You will just have to hang tight from the side to see what this Celebration Day is all about.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

The End Part 20: Dancing Days Are Here Again

“Lost time is never found again” – Benjamin Franklin

If you recall, the opening quote from the last part was “silence is a source of great strength.” If Lao Tzu is correct, than I must be really strong. I sit here typing away after a year of silence. My last part of this piece was published last June. Why the silence? I am not sure, but if I had to guess here are my two best.

One, I just didn’t feel like I had much to say. That is simply a cop-out. There is always so much going on in my mind and in my life as a business owner that there is always something to say. The truth is that I have learned over the years that when I don’t fell like sharing or do not feel motivated is usually the most important time to dig deep and just do it. I simply did not do that.

Two, I felt embarrassed and a bit ashamed that this negotiation had been taking so long. Here I was wrapping up this series getting ready to finally close the Go-Go Babyz chapter that has endured for two decades of my career. I was just waiting for the ink to dry to publish the last details and my final thoughts.  The ink never dried.

I really think that I let this negotiation get me down. It started off very smooth. The buyer and I worked well together in the beginning and settled the majority of the terms over the phone. The troubles began when two of the buyer’s lawyers got involved. Things started going south fairly quickly. Just when I thought things were good, they would throw another curve ball.

Things got even more frustrating when their lawyers began working with my lawyers. Suddenly, the terms that the buyer and I originally discussed began to change and the fundamental structure of the deal that we were originally working on changed and left me way too vulnerable and exposed. For whatever reason, the buyer tried to change a very important detail in the agreement that we originally discussed that ended up breaking the entire deal.

It is very frustrating that so much time was spent on this deal and in the end it fell through. What is more frustrating is that I had a couple other interested parties that I had to table discussions with due to an exclusivity period with the current buyer at that time. Unfortunately, the ship sailed for the others. I can’t get the time back so I am trying to just be open to learning whatever lessons I can from this experience and use it to move forward better prepared what comes next. If I can successfully pull that off, then the lost time will not be a complete loss.

For now, dancing days are here again. I just need to find a new party to dance with.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

Ramble On, 6.20.2022

Gratitude. Hmmm. It’s such a mystic and elusive word, isn’t it? Maybe, maybe not.

It is, however, something that is easier said, or written, than done. I can only really speak for myself and in my experience it is much easier to say what I am grateful for by means of an oral or written list than actually living my life in gratitude. What does that really look like? Does it actually look like anything or is more of a feeling?

Let me step back for a moment and look at the other side. It easy to complain, judge, and be disappointed when things do not turn out the way I plan or want. It sure doesn’t feel good, though. It is also easy to focus on the things I don’t have and become jealous and envious of others. That sure doesn’t foster gratitude. Why would I want to live that way? I don’t. Then why do I continue to do so? Is it simply a bad habit? 

I could do a deep dive on this and still come up a bit confused so I will keep my rambling short. I do think there is more than one simple answer. Habits are definitely part of the discussion. Verbalizing or writing gratitude lists help form the habit of looking for the positives in our life rather than focusing on the negatives. The positives help us practice good behavior, i.e. good habits, while focusing on the negative perpetuate the bad habits.

I write this the day after Father’s Day on which I had a great day with my family. It was a perfectly enjoyable day. Today is June 20th which is the birthday of one of my lifelong friends that I have been romping around with since the diaper days. I say “one of” because I have quite a few from those days still in my life. If that is not something to be grateful for I don’t know what is.

Looking back just a few days ago I was experiencing intense bouts of anxiety around the sale of Go-Go Babyz. The anxiety came when I found myself in the middle of a deal and all of a sudden two other interested parties came out of the shadows. One in particular had been discussing their interest with another colleague for over a year. They asked that I talk to this other party as a favor. The ink was all but dried on the other deal and now this? I obliged and it went nowhere but generated anxiety for a few days. Of course there was much more but I am sure you get the point.

Looking back I could have avoided the level of anxiety I experienced by focusing on the fact that I had multiple prospects. That is a great position to be in an, again, something to be grateful for.

The point of all this rambling is that in order to change our habits, we have to think differently. Sometimes we need to act our way into thinking differently. Little acts are what will help change the thinking that will form the habits that create positive change in our behavior and life. That is why I believe in a creating gratitude list because writing them down or saying them out loud is a little act that can lead to bigger changes. 

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

The End Part 19: The Sounds of Silence

“Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu

If the opening quote is true, look out world ‘cuz Ima gettin’ strong! Silence is the is present plan. Negotiations have progressed to the point that the prospective buyer has expressed their intent to buy and provided an exclusivity agreement to prevent me from discussing the offer or seeking out another offer from any other party while they perform their due diligence. We are getting closer and mum’s the word.

Well, I guess I didn’t really think this through. How can I write anything if I am not allowed to say anything?

Looking back on my last post I realized that I didn’t really address the quote I used for the opener. I just jumped in and went off writing my thoughts and let them go on their own without coming back to my initial thoughts. That tends to happen, especially when my writing has been dormant for a while. Today I will step back a bit to address the quote from the last post by Leo Tolstoy; “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”

Patience truly is a virtue and one that I never had too much of. I have always been more of an instant gratification type. The good news is I can become better at applying virtues in my life with practice. The better news is that I have become more patient over time, and you guessed it, it took patience and time, among other things.

A quote such as Leo Tolstoy’s begs the question, “what is patience?” According to the Oxford Dictionary it is “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” In the context of my present situation I have to decide if this is something I can do. Do I have the capacity to be patient? If you have followed the entire piece you know it has been going on for quite a while. I have had to practice patience throughout in order to maintain my peace of mind and serenity. Now, I am so close I can taste the execution and ratification of a purchase contract. Therefore I just have to practice a bit more patience to reach the finish line.

Time. That is what I must endure. The ticking and the tocking of time manifested in reality as life moves into the future moment by moment. It is the most valuable resource. It is the great equalizer. We all have the same amount of time. It becomes a priceless asset when no one else has the power to control my time. It becomes even stronger and more powerful when I have the skill to manage it properly to maximize my efficiency, production, and quality of my life. It truly becomes a warrior on my side of the battle of life when I can harness the power from the ability to be patient and endure. There is no strength in allowing impatience to create frustration and suffering through the passing of time as the sands of time run lower and lower.

Life is lived in the moment. A lifetime is made up of a collection of moments. Slow, frustrating negotiations are simply pieces to the puzzle that paint the picture of a lifetime. What do I want my completed puzzle to be? A fiery mosaic filled with anger and frustration? No! This process is just a small section of my final masterpiece. I can practice patience and make the passing of time more constructive and enjoyable, or I can kick and scream and be miserable. I do not like misery. I will choose patience in this moment and grow the strength of my warriors.

Stay tuned to find out how my warriors fared through the silence.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

The End Part 18: Born Again

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy

He there, do you remember me? I know, it has been a while. Truth is, I haven’t had much inspiration to write and on the sale of the business topic, there just hasn’t been much activity to share. The reality is sometimes you just have to stop, let go and walk away to allow things to happen. That is just what I did.

I’d like to say that it was a noble and calculated decision to do so. That it was all part of my overall strategy. If I did I would be lying. What really happened is life became so busy with the other business that time just continued to slip away. At some point I realized that so much time had gone by and that I really should focus on selling the business again before it’s too late. I did just that. I gathered all the basic info needed and listed the business for sale in April. I have had several interested parties and now I am currently in an active negotiation. I won’t get too excited but will practice cautions optimism.

We have been in talks for two business days and the prospective buyer submitted an offer. No need to get onto details that is not the point of this piece. The point is to illustrate, yet again, that once I let go and stop trying to control and force things to create the outcome I want, flow and life is to be restored. The distraction of the other business helped, but I let go of my attachment to the situation and what I wanted to see happen as the outcome. This allowed things to happen more naturally. I just had to do the footwork.

This lesson transcends business and applies to all areas of life. The more I hold tight to situations and try to control the outcome, the more stress and disappointment I experience. That is recipe for disaster.  The more I try to control, the more disappointment and failure I experience in my life. This creates fertile ground for anger, resentment and all their ugly cousins to come have a party in my head. Negativity feeds on negativity and the longer I allow them to live rent free in my head, the larger and stronger they grow.

Once I can acknowledge what is happening and face the negative tenants, I can send an eviction notice. That allows me to move on and create a space for productivity and positivity. As cheesy and cliché as it sounds it is true. It has been proven to me over and over in my life. I only have control over my own attitude and actions. If I feed the demons dancing with the monkeys in my head, things do not work out so well. If I acknowledge them and take away their power, life is good.

Today I choose to evict the negative tenants as I wait with cautious optimism for the final dance with Go-Go Babyz.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live