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Redefining Success 5 uncertain world of knowing ourselves and defining and designing a ­ future. It’s just easier to try to win on our financial scorecard. And to be fair, the busyness of demanding professions combined with raising a ­family and keeping up with many responsibilities leave many wealth creators with ­ little time to consider the impacts and outcomes of success and money in their lives. A Richer Definition of Success ­ There is nothing wrong with wanting it all. I wanted more for my life back in 1999, when I realized I ­ couldn’t continue on my current path. I wanted to flourish in ­ every facet of my life—­financial, ­ career satisfaction, ­ family, health, and other personal goals that mattered to me—­and I wanted adventure to go along with it. I only had one life to live, and I wanted more passion and purpose. I wanted to know myself better and heal from the anxiety that plagued me. I wanted to go on a spiritual journey that required putting my faith into action. I wanted to understand what I was made of, what made me tick, and what was pos­si­ble. I wanted the time to coach my son’s baseball team and to be an active and available parent for our kids. I wanted to spend more quality time with my wife. I wanted to put my stamp on the world by creating and innovat- ing a business culture that valued caring for ­ people, pursuing excellence, personal growth and development, and life fully lived. I also wanted to build wealth, experience financial success and security, and be generous. Starting a com­pany was a long shot when I was younger, but at age 37, I felt this was my last chance to create the ­ future I desperately wanted. ­ There was a lot at stake: We had become financially comfortable with my salary and its accompanying lifestyle perks. We had ratcheted up our spending commensurate with my raises, and I definitely ­ didn’t want my lifestyle to backslide. Regardless, it was clear to me that in a few short years I’d be 50, and I ­ didn’t want to be financially comfortable, unhappy, full of regrets, and stuck. During the next three months, I began preparing to launch my own business—­I secured a small executive office space, bought a computer, picked a com­pany name, made a list of proj­ects and priorities, and prayed a lot. ­ There ­ were many long talks with my wife, Kelle, about what I planned to do. She was my life partner and the co-creator of our wealth, and I knew I ­wouldn’t be able to move forward without her support, trust, and commitment. We needed to be in complete alignment. On May 5, 1999, the night before the planned launch date, I was full of fear and anxiety ­because of what I was about to risk. I remember feeling