I was chatting to a friend the other day who was in a bit of a conundrum. He did not like where he was but uncertainty and fear kept him tied to something that was wearing him down. Eventually it will (he admits this himself) burn him out.

Can you relate to that? I certainly can. Several years ago I left a job that I enjoyed but was wearing me out and keeping me from my family. I wanted to spend time with my son before he went to school and decided it was time. But uncertainty and fear kept me from doing this.

Nearly 12 months later I came across a story about The Black Door and I came to a realisation. I was afraid of the unknown. Anyway… to cut a long story short I bit the bullet and resigned to spend time with my family. Was it a wise move financially? Maybe not in the short term… But I wish I had done it sooner because money cannot buy what I gained.

Here is the story that impacted me so powerfully…

There is a story of a black door, a young man and a Persian general.

The young man, it is said, was a prisoner of war, and the general was a very fair man. When the day arrived to decide the fate of the prisoner, the general had him brought before him. The young man was certain of death, but the general generously gave him two choices. On the young man’s left was a firing squad, guns poised ready. On the right was a plain white wall with a large black door in the middle of it. The young man was given leave to determine his fate…the firing squad or the black door.

The young man made his choice and in a short while a volley of shots rang out and the prisoner crumpled to the ground. The general shook his head and commented to his aide that in all his years he had seen only a few men choose the black door. May I ask, sir, the aide queried … what lies beyond the black door? Freedom, the general replied. The black door leads to freedom, but I have seen only a few men choose it because they are afraid of what horrors may lie beyond. Most would rather choose a fate that they know, even if it means death, than experience the unknown. The man brave enough to choose the black door deserves to be free.

To day, in the world of business, change is constant, and those afraid to experience change are in a precarious position. Trends in business are changing, and business and career choices once thought to be safe and stable are no longer so. The advice our parents gave us – to go to university, get a good education and get a good job with a company who would take care of us for the rest of out lives – is no longer true. Company restructuring, downsizing and retrenchments have caused abrupt changes inadequate to take care of a family’s needs. And yet, there are choices to be made, and those brave enough to make them will survive the economic crunch

Are you ready to choose The Black Door??

Lyndon