First Person: Holiday Reflection on Business Success and the Gift of Books

Today, I am an 18-year flourishing small business owner in distribution, sales and service of outdoor play systems. After years of seriously hard work, I state that proudly. However, I sincerely do not measure my overall success in life based solely on being a small business owner.

Never dismiss the culmination of seemingly small things that may have played a part in your becoming successful. For me, just one of those small things was the holiday gift of books I received from my great-aunts every Christmas.

I especially get to thinking about this during my annual spiked eggnog-induced lapse of holiday nostalgia. It starts out with me looking back over my current business year. Without fail, it spirals from there into a journey covering most of my life. Thankfully, the journey ends when the eggnog runs out.

Calculating Success

To calculate my so-called success fairly, I feel compelled to incorporate a slew of factors in the equation. I grew up a Baby Boomer and a poor one at that. Having anything handed to me was simply not an option.

Even now, there are plenty of things my husband is willing to provide for me. I still opt to take the long road and work to attain and buy on my own, most of the things I want. Label me archaic if you must, but I believe true success consists of a copious life-related concoction of elements.

Tough Truth about Being Poor

During my life span, I have heard so many people say my family was poor, but I did not realize I was poor. Well I certainly knew, beyond any doubt, that I was poor. However, I did not sit around lamenting fate's cruel kick in the teeth. I cannot deny that I did fuss about it. Sometimes I fussed a lot. Nevertheless, I begrudgingly accepted my lot in life and had to move forward.

I learned early on that crying over things I never had was a huge waste of energy. No amount of tears, made stuff suddenly manifest. Trust me -- I tried that. Oh, and what I did have, I cherished with every ounce of my being.

I may not have had a whole lot of the material things that money can buy, but I had two amazing and well-to-do great-aunts. I should point out, these aunts were well to do from tireless years of hard work and smart money management, including brilliant investments.

My aunts did not understand my life in the woods in Massachusetts where I lived and still reside. They were from the big city, which is where my mom hailed from. However, they expected me to be somebody when I grew up. They also insisted I be the best-read country bumpkin great-niece on the planet.

My great-aunts did not have children. Just like my mom was to them, I, too, was the next best thing.

My aunts started me out young reading all of what are today's classic books and then some. Every holiday, I could not wait to get my annual gift of books from my two sweet aunts that I loved dearly. I was unaware at the time, but through books, I was quietly absorbing and preparing for life.

Books as a Learning Tool and Part of My Success

It may be hard for some to relate to books having such an impact on a person's life, never mind play a role in their success factor. Keep in mind, there was no Internet. Nor were there oodles of learning channels to pick from for a quick dose of education.

My household actually went without a TV for years. The TV my family watched (all two channels) gave out. There was no money to buy a new one. Case closed. We found plenty to do anyway.

Bringing it All Together

When I look back over a year, I cannot judge my small business success without reflecting on all the little things in life that got me to this place in time. The books my great-aunts showered on me were my past time, my education and really, my world. Spiked eggnog was simply a bonus I discovered later on in life.

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Why Small Business Still Maters
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