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As much as we all would love to believe that “real life” doesn’t affect our little lives here on the Interwebs, nothing could be further from the truth.  If you really do believe that, close your web browser, unplug your computer, and walk out your front door.

You might want to put on some sunscreen since it’s probably the first time you’ve been out in years.

For all the rest of us that still have a “real life, ” we know that sometimes things happen and that issues arise that take precedence over what’s going on here in our little online bubble.

That happened for me this past week.

My grandmother, just a few days shy of her 86th birthday, went on to a much better place last Saturday morning.  She had been in failing health for the last few years and within the last 2 weeks things had taken a turn for the worse.

The good news is this: she’s in a much better place and is reunited with my grandfather who left us 3 years ago. They’re together again (they were married over 60 years) and both are no longer suffering the way they were when they were still among the rest of us normal folk. (That’s them in the picture, by the way, with 4 of their 5 kids.)

For me, this was a difficult week.  I’ve lost 3 of my 4 grandparents within the last 3.5 years and my only surviving grandmother just had open heart surgery about a month ago. (Don’t worry, she’ll be kicking it for another 15 or 20 years. Less than a month after surgery and the woman was at the funeral home this week in heels and her pearls.  And she’ll absolutely still have all of us over for Easter Sunday dinner and she’ll still insist on cooking everything herself.)

So, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, soul-searching, life reviewing, and deep thinking over the past several days.  I’ve made a few brief appearances at my usual haunts this week, but this is really the first time I’ve sat down at my computer to do any real “work” since she passed.

Which is where I get to the interesting point of this conversation and is really where you should pay attention if you haven’t been…

During my absence (9 days since my last blog post here), several very interesting things have happened.

1. Traffic to my blog didn’t decrease.  It actually increased.
2. People still joined my email list.
3. I still got leads for my business.
4. I didn’t have to worry about everything falling apart.

Now, you can look at this one of two ways…

Way #1 – I’m really a terrible person for talking about my business in the same post as talking about the death of my grandmother. If you’re thinking this way, you’ve missed the entire point of this discussion and I feel sorry for you.  Keep reading to see how you should be thinking about it and get your head screwed on straight.

Way #2 – You realize that this just goes to prove the awesome power of building your brand and business online. You’re like me and want to create a business that you don’t have to touch every single day to keep seeing results. You don’t want to have to worry about your business when something happens in “real life” that is much more important than blogging or updating your Facebook status or sending a tweet.  These are all things that are just tools to make your life better, not become your life.

For those of you that are thinking Way #2, you’ve got the right mindset for success.  Way #1 folks, you’re not there yet.  I’m not ignoring the loss of my grandmother.  I’m recognizing that I’m building a business that will allow me to create the kind of life that I really want.  I’m building a business that if I need to disappear for a few days, things will still keep right on moving.

Real life happens.  Your business should be designed to “enhance and improve” your real life, not make it worse.  If we all wanted that, we would have stayed working the 9 to 5.

Speaking of real life, I thought I’d share something with you.  My grandparents were able to renew their vows a few years ago.  They had to do it from the confines of a nursing home, but that didn’t stop it from being a beautiful occasion for everyone.  I’ve posted a few of them on my Flickr page that I’d like to share with you, if you like.

Here’s the link ==> Wedding Vows

I hope you enjoy.

I know this post was a little bit different, but this was more than just a post for me.  Just had to say a few things and clear my thoughts.  Thanks for being my sounding board and I hope that I’ve encouraged you at least a little bit to really get things moving with your business.

Don’t allow yourself to be trapped.  Build something that will give you more time with your family.  Build something that will give you true freedom.  Build something that will last even if you have to leave for a bit.

If you like this really strange and wandering post, please leave your comments below.  Even a retweet or a share would be great.

And I promise, I’ll be back to my old, regular goofy self now.  And I’ll be around a lot.  A LOT.  I’ve got some big things on the books for the next little bit, so keep your eyes peeled. (Fair warning:  I started out in my online business with a podcast.  That’s going to come back very, VERY soon, along with more VIDEOS)

Buckle up, kids.  We’re about to go for a ride.

I hope you’ll come along with me.

To Your Unending Success,

Mike Paul

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