While it may seem difficult to keep a positive attitude, given all of the events that have unfolded over the past few months, I am reminded of a man who has helped me in the development of my positive attitude. That person is Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power Of Positive Thinking. In his Introduction Dr. Peale states, in part, “The positive thinker constantly sends out positive thoughts, together with vital mental images of hope, optimism and creativity. He therefore activates the world around him positively and strongly tends to draw back to himself positive results.”

That positive attitude is evident within the membership of the Chapel Hill Leads Group, now in its 23rd consecutive year. It serves as a small business incubator, where our members can meet with other entrepreneur’s. It operates as a business referral organization, but it also serves as a board of directors that can help each other achieve success in their respective business.

My personal sense of optimism, based upon over 49 years of self-employment and events throughout my life, reminds me that the current environment in which we find ourselves will come to an end, and I believe soon. Until that day arrives, I want everyone to be assured that you are always on my mind and I look forward to seeing you all again, in person.

I invite you to join our group this Wednesday morning in our “ZOOM” presentation, hosted by Sharon Hill, and to witness for yourself why The Chapel Hill Leads Group should be part of your marketing plan for the year 2020.

The question that is on all of our minds, especially small business owners is , what is the future of our business?. Unfortunately, none of us really knows for sure. However, as a very optimistic person and one who has experienced numerous business interruption scenarios over my 49+ years in business, I can tell you that the current events will pass and we will get back to some sense of normalcy, and I expect that will happen sooner than later.

I am also of the belief that , once we do, we will have the opportunity to restructure our respective business model in a way that will allow us to anticipate and plan for unexpected disruptions, what ever they may be. I am also confident that business organizations, such as the respective Leads Groups in the area will be the place to reorganize your goals, share your concerns and above all learn from the experiences of each other.

I look forward to the Wednesday that we can meet, in person, again. Until then I encourage you to stay connected with each other and to know and have faith in the fact that “this too shall pass”.

While I was at the V.A. Hospital recently, I saw a quotation that stated “For, in the final analysis, our most common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We breathe the same air, we cherish our children’s future, and we are all mortal ” ~ President John F. Kennedy (1963)

At the Chapel Hill Leads Group, we also have a common link. That is, the desire to help each other prosper in our respective businesses. I hope that you will accept my invitation to join us this Wednesday morning via Zoom and to witness for yourself the reason why the Chapel Hill Leads Group has been helping small business owners throughout the Triangle Region become successful, now in our 23rd continuous year.

Throughout each of our lives we all have seen times of trouble, whether it be financially, marital, parental and others. We now are experiencing a time of trouble in our country in which most of us have never witnessed. It very well may be that we have allowed this “shutdown of our economy” to happen by none other than ourselves. We have allowed fear to dictate national and state policy. As a result of our fear, we have all suffered in one manner or another and it may well be that the “bleeding” may not be over for some time to come, if we continue to allow it.

As an optimist, I always look for the silver lining in the cloud and I always know that, regardless of the situation, there is always a positive lesson to learn from any situation. The positive lesson that we, as members of the Chapel Hill Leads Group, can learn from this current situation is that we should help each other financially, by utilizing the services provided by those of us who provide a service and purchasing products from those who offer products. The other lesson that can be learned is that of compassion for each other and an awareness that each of us has a personal life as well as a business life. To that end, I have received a few calls from both current members and past members who have called me to see if everything is well with me, knowing that I have medical issues that place me in a high-risk category for Covid-19. I have been “heart-touched” by those calls and they have reminded me that one of the facts that have made The Chapel Hill Leads Group so amazing and so different from other business organizations, now in our 22nd consecutive year, is the compassion that our members have for each other.

If we are to survive financially and emotionally from this current situation we MUST do our individual part in restoring our economy. We can do so by helping each other personally and we do so by contacting our elected officials and demand that they open up our economy so that both we and future generations will be able to achieve the American Dream.

We hear these words “Joy To The World” often during the month of December and even just after Thanksgiving Day. When I heard the-song again recently, I thought about the many years that I have spoken these words, sang them and heard them. “Joy to the World” is a popular Christmas song and as of the late 20th century, “Joy to the World” was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.

On behalf of all of our members, I wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that you and your family well and remembering the true meaning of the season.