As I travel around the country exposed to a lot of different dealership owners, I get to see a lot of things. There are many different styles, concepts, strategies, and ideas at play. Usually, I get to walk away from each meeting/visit picking up something new. It truly may be the most rewarding part of my job besides the constant winning that makes it so rewarding.

A lot of times, I see areas of opportunity in most places. There are things that people are not doing for their business that I have seen other people in other places do and become successful because of. That was not the case today in Omaha, Nebraska.

About seven years ago, I got my first assignment in Omaha with a guy who totally took me by surprise. After several calls/discussions on the phone, he seemed to know what he was talking about from a business standpoint, and I had nothing but time on my hands with zero to lose. So, I flew out to Omaha in December to meet him. When I say it was cold, getting off the plane was a whole new kind of cold, something I had never experienced. My bones even felt cold.

Then, to my surprise when I showed up at the meeting, this guy looked like he was barely out of college. I thought to myself, how is this guy going to make a decision to hire us?  Myself being someone who people often think is younger than I actually am, my only way to keep myself positive was to think that I used to be this way. As it turned out, not only did he hire us, but the last seven years together have turned his business into an absolute empire. They have added dealerships, become number-one in their state across almost all brands, built a massive used car operation, and then today he walks me through his new car wash that he is building that, yet again, will be the largest in the state.

As I walked around with my client, now also a friend, I thought about what I might learn from today, and this is it: you can never dream big enough. There are very few people in this world who dream big. Even fewer have enormous dreams. But I saw living proof of it today in Omaha and will encourage everyone I know to always think that way.

There are mornings like this morning where it just seems surreal. I got up early before the sun comes up, got dressed, headed to the airport, and wheels were up at 7:01 a.m. As the sun is rising, so is the plane. I just think about how great our country is where you can have a career or a business and can go anywhere you want and do anything you want to do.

As we kept gaining altitude, I thought about how fun it is to travel to all corners of America. It’s a random Wednesday in September, and I’m headed to the far north Midwest, where I get to go meet new people, talk about the service that my company provides, and experience a whole different lifestyle than the one I have at home.

It’s truly a great thing that I love about what I get to do. Different places, different days, different people, new ideas, new strategies, making things happen, and creating a positive environment. It’s just really one thing that I love about America and what America allows you to do.

It’s not for everyone. Some people get tired of the travel. Some people get tired of the wear and tear, and some just flat-out don’t want to do it. But for me, it’s the only life I know. It’s the only life I really want. And it’s so rewarding at the end of each day to go from city to city, place to place, meeting new people and having new opportunities. To me, that’s what America really is all about.

After taking quite a break from writing on this blog, I spent a lot of time thinking about life: the ups, the downs, the twists, and the turns. And I have come to one very non-profound conclusion: I’m just happy to be here.

The last 60 days have been a lot of fun. There have been a lot of big things happening. There’s been a lot of turmoil. There’s been a lot of ups, there’s been a lot of downs. There’s been the greatest moments of happiness in my life, and some of the greatest moments of sadness. Yet, while all this has happened, it has made me reflect on just being happy being. That’s probably not a very profound statement to a lot of people, but as I continue to go through life, what I seem to find is really a feeling of enjoyment for just living in the moment. Big situations used to scare the hell out of me. Bad things that happen used to frighten me. I used to live some days in fear. But I’ve gotten past it because, with every new thing that happens, each and every day comes as a new opportunity; a new experience. I no longer live with a concern of anything being over my shoulder. In fact, some days I literally feel weightless that nothing makes me uneasy. It’s truly an enjoyment just being here.

As I was flying today, I looked out the window gazing over the earth and wondered how many times? How many times has it happened in my career? There, out the left side window, I saw the Mississippi River and just wondered, how many times have I crossed you?

Maybe it’s because for 150 years very few people ever got a chance to cross it, and the phrase “west of the Mississippi” was such a popular phrase in society. Or it could be because I think back to 2006 when I first went out to Texas alone and signed a rather large account. Better yet, maybe it’s because, regardless of whether I am coming home or going out on a mission, I can look down, see the river, and know exactly where I am at.

Then, my thoughts turn to the many years and millions of miles I have spent flying across the country, and truly wonder how many times I have crossed this amazing piece of geography. Regardless of what thought triggers in my mind, I can merely look out in vast amazement at the twists and turns of such a massive beast and think about how cool and reflective the Mississippi River is of life in general.

Sometimes things go your way…

Sometimes they don’t go your way…

Sometimes you’re cruising down a current…

Sometimes you’re battling the current with all your might…

Sometimes it’s too murky to see your future and what’s out in front…

Sometimes it’s as clear as a bell…

Sometimes you look at it in amazement…

Sometimes you look at it and you are scared to death to cross it…

Regardless of how you look at things on any certain day, no matter how many times, I fly over the mighty Mississippi and think about something.