Enjoy the Climb!

[Gino Barbaro]

I hop this helps all struggling entrepreneurs find the reason why!

I felt compelled to write this article for all the entrepreneurs out there who are constantly striving to achieve their goals and reach new milestones. If you are like me, then you are habitually writing down your to do list, only to be striking the list daily and moving on to the next day without a second thought. I have often wondered why this accomplishment has left me without a sense of fulfillment.

Let me give you a quick background to my journey. I graduated college way back in 1992, with a lackluster job market, and quickly decided to go into business for myself with my family. It was a great decision at the time. I met my wife (best thing to happen in my life) at the restaurant and ran a successful restaurant for over 20 years. But once my father passed away in 2007 and the “Great Recession” hit back in 2008, I started reassessing my life in respect to work and family.

Losing my father left a void at the restaurant. I had worked with my dad since I was eight years old, and he was more than a father to me. I was also becoming concerned with the economy and how that would affect the business. All of these factors convinced me that I needed another avenue to secure my financial future and achieve that elusive fulfillment I was seeking.

I finally decided that real estate was the vehicle that would transport me to financial freedom. I began investing with my partner Jake back in 2013, and we purchased our first property in February 2013, a 25 unit apartment complex that Jake referred to as our baby. I just saw potential, and the neophyte in me was ready for the challenge.

I was concentrating at this point on reaching the top of the mountain, and this is where I want all the readers to focus on. Although this first property became very successful, I was unhappy with this achievement and craved for more. I was not focusing on my life day to day, I was looking years out and projecting my happiness when I got “A lot of apartments.” I should have been focusing on being happy in the moment.

This is when I heard a profound statement from Tony Robbins about happiness. He basically told his audience that you can decide today to be happy today. You don’t have to wait for the jet or the car to be happy. If you are happy today, chances are that you will get the jet quicker. Those words of wisdom have revolutionized my life and the way I feel about success and fulfillment.

There are two stages that we are constantly passing through: growth or death. If we aren’t learning and being totally engaged in life, then we are on the path to death. This is where the climb on the mountain is so important. We all need to climb the mountain daily, and while climbing recognize all the value you bring to others and all of your struggles. Embrace those struggles and don’t ask why, but ask what can I learn from these impediments.

Fast forward to the present. I have been blessed to expand our portfolio to 675 units since that first “baby”, and I have been able to retire from the restaurant and pursue investing full time. I realize that I am still climbing and hope I have a long way to go until the top. Just remember to lift your head while climbing and look around at all the beauty that surrounds you. Choose to be happy today and go out and serve others.