I routinely hear entrepreneurs and business people grumble about how much easier life was in the good old days. If they were just a little older and could have participated in the bull market, the real estate market, or other activities that made people money way back when, then they would have been much more successful than they are now, when things are tough. People routinely look over their shoulders and think wistfully about how much better life was way back when. Talk about rose-colored glasses. I’ve got news for you: life has never been better than it is right now, and since you’ll never have a chance to go back, anyway, stop looking backward and start looking forward. I repeat: there will never be an opportunity that’s better than the opportunity that’s in front of you in the here and now. The idea that life was invariably simpler and easier, or that you could have made more money based on the rules or regulations of days gone by, reminds me of a story I heard recently. I spend a lot of time in Las Vegas because I have business interests in the area. Consequently, I talk to people about the Las Vegas community. I happen to like the gambling business and the hospitality business, so I spend time with people who are in those industries, and they tell me about how the business is now compared to how it was in days gone by. One of my friends told me just such a story of how a gambler was loitering around the casino, laying down bets on the blackjack tables against the six-deck shoe. He was losing, he was frustrated and he was angry. He walks outside, lights up a cigarette and says to my friend that in the good old days, it was much easier to play blackjack. In the good old days, when they used a single deck, players could count the cards and beat the house. But now, in the bad new days, the house has implemented the six-deck shoe, and players can’t beat the house anymore. My friend turns to him and says, “Young man, I’ve got news for you. This town was built on single-deck blackjack.” It doesn’t matter whether you live now, in the future, or in the past. You’re dealing with circumstances that are current, and you can’t go backwards. You might as well make the best of the circumstances, the rules, the regulations and the opportunities that exist for you right now. People who play blackjack have no more opportunity now than they did before and it’s merely perception that the game was easier in the past. Of course, in the past, people probably believed that the previous generation had it easier, too. There’s also a perception that real estate appreciation was easier to predict in the old days. After all, once you built it, it had to appreciate because no one was there before. It truth, it’s easier to predict real estate trends now than it ever has been because population growth 100 years ago was so small compared to today; nobody then had any idea how big the metropolitan areas would become. Now, we’re pretty much assured that metropolitan areas will continue to grow as economic opportunity flourishes. So, as you are working hard every day to build your company or your career, live in the now. Live today knowing that the opportunities in front of you are great opportunities. Don’t look back. Make your plan, go forward and do your best to grab for the gold ring every day. Often dubbed a “Growth Architect” by his clients, Joel G. Block advises companies on explosive growth strategies by driving revenue and sales. Well known in the capital markets, Joel is a successful entrepreneur, speaker and advisor. He can be reached at www.joelblock.com.
