even if the summit is still far away …

Yesterday I rode a horse around the pyramids in Egypt … I actually climbed onto the 2nd biggest pyramid.

Visiting the pyramids has been a dream of mine since I was in high school — and having the opportunity to visit and climb onto and around them was an absolute surreal experience.

On the flight from Cairo to Dubai last night I thought about all the crazy opportunities that I have had in my life – esp. the adventures I have had the last 5 years, the opportunities that naseba has brought me …

This past weekend, I was reflecting on myself and this idea of “if it was easy … ” and getting/being frustrated at not having everything I want “right now.”

…. I am building a house in La Turbie, a village directly above Monaco in the South of France. It is a gorgeous house with the ultimate sea view.

but….

construction has been an absolute f…ing nightmare and in some ways this house has turned into a large money pit.

In fact, we have been building this house since June 2006 … apparently, we built more than our government permit allowed, thus the french gov’t made us stop construction with the house only 80% complete.

I have had numerous fights with my wife – just because of this house. She hates the house – I love the house, but to be perfectly honest, this house has been absolute f…ing hell.

However, throughout this battle, I have kept a very positive outlook and refused to allow frustration and anger towards the builder and or the government consume me.

When a lawyer told us it might take several years to sort out the work permit … I did not let this get me down and I found another lawyer that had a better answer for me.

I kept telling my wife throughout the months … “the best things in life are not easy….” and “if it is was easy…” and the house is worth it because one day it will be finished and we will have something gorgeous as well as a great investment…(pitch pitch pitch).

We have had so many fights over this house. Absolute f…ing hell.

However, finally, last week … all my “positive-ness” paid off and my new lawyer helped get the government to agree to allow us to finish building the house.

All the struggles … all the pain seem to finally have been worth it.

Life is not always easy …

Over this past weekend, my wife and I discussed the stress over the house … the stress over business and my schedule … the stress of life in general ….

I reminded her that life is not meant to be cushy all the time.

Stress in my opinion is a definite perspective.

Business …. although a couple of people might think differently …. running a listed company that owns 9 different companies is extremely complicated and not easy.

Life is not always easy…

On a personal level, I am missing my daughters birthday party today – I am constantly traveling – not to mention sometimes being dissapointed by people that you believe in …

but this is part of the climb I chose and I am certainly not complaining.

The only reason I share this with the reader is to put things into the perspective.

Even though I “hammer” the point over and over throughout the blog … “it is not easy….” and “there are no short cuts…” even I get frustrated at times because I still have a long way to go to achieve my goal/summit.

Sometimes I waste time thinking of and searching for “short cuts….” but trust me … there are no short cuts.

I was explaining to my wife … I get annoyed and frustrated because I am not at the summit of my mountain … to be perfectly clear — I am not even close to the summit I am after…

Life is not always easy … and success 99.9% of the time does not happen over night.

However …. as I so easily say, but often times have a difficult time remembering …. life is one big climb that at times is easy …. but most of the time is very challenging and stressful — therefore not easy … but we have to make it happen.

As I was climbing onto and around the pyramids …. I thought of all the other crazy opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to have experienced …

I reflected on all the “difficulties and challenges“ we face on a daily basis … can lead us to opportunities.

It is up to us to keep focused – even when things are not perfect — even when things are difficult … even when our summit is still far far away …

we must keep climbing…