I can’t believe that two weeks ago, I was waking up in the morning to take the bike we had rented the day before for a ride around the island of Key West.

In some ways, when I look back on the trip, I am still surprised we actually went in the first place.

For those who don’t know, this was the fourth year my wife and I have gone down to Key West for my birthday celebration.

It started as a way to celebrate my 52nd birthday and the 50th birthday celebration I was not really able to have because of COVID.

That first trip was powerful for me because it taught me an important life lesson. And that lesson now lives on a sticker on my favorite water cup:

“Slow Down. Enjoy Life. Key West.”

My wife and I are fairly frugal when it comes to our home finances. And even on trips, we try to find the best airfare, use hotel reward points, and, in true Key West style, enjoy a few happy hours.

After four years of going to Key West, we have learned there is a happy hour somewhere from sunrise to sunset.

But this year’s conversation about going to Key West was very different from the last three trips.

Every other year, I had a salaried position. As a matter of fact, if I am being honest and transparent, last year was one of the highest-earning years I have ever had as a professional.

This year, things were different.

I had started my own consulting firm and could not rely on a consistent stream of income month to month.

One evening, as we were sitting at home after dinner and right before watching one of our favorite shows, my wife asked if I thought we should still go to Key West this year, considering our new situation.

I thought for a minute.

Then, going out on complete blind faith, I said, “Absolutely, we should go.”

If we thought we had been frugal about this trip before, we could be even more frugal this time. We would use more points. Fly a less expensive airline direct so there would be no need for a rental car. Still enjoy our happy hours. Stay at a Hampton Inn with free breakfast. Go to the local Publix for lunches and pool beverages.

As the months went by, it still seemed like a great idea.

Until July came around.

I had built up some great momentum for the new business in the first part of the year. But I was also still getting paid for three months from the Chamber. I picked up a few other gigs that got me from April to June.

But in July, I billed $700.

Oh crap.

What were we thinking?

I was not bringing in much money, and we had already committed to and paid for a week-long trip to Key West.

At that point, there was nothing that could be done. I was just going to have to keep working hard, continue building the business, and trust that God had a plan.

And sure enough, He did.

Toward the beginning of August, several things started lining up.

I received approval from a New Jersey based state association to begin a governance engagement. I picked up additional work doing governance strategy with a local friend’s LLC Board. I was hired as an interim for a project with a six-month contract.

Additionally, a dear friend who happens to be the CEO of a statewide North Carolina association offered me some part-time work because she had a staff vacancy. They had work that needed to get done, no time to hire someone, and they definitely could not just hire anyone.

They needed someone experienced.

To say I was overqualified is a bit of an understatement, but that is okay.

It was a very symbiotic situation, and that is all that matters.

So, as August came to a close, and with just a few weeks before our Key West trip, I had billed more that month than any single month of salary at the Chamber.

This might actually work after all.

Now, that still does not make up for the fact that I need to catch up a bit on my personal Amex, but we are making progress.

The thing to note is that I know I am not out of the woods yet.

I know there will be difficulties again.

Maybe December.

Who knows?

The fact is, you have to have a lot of faith to start a business.

And apparently, you also have to have a lot of faith to go on vacation after you start one.

But I am glad we went.

Because sometimes faith does not look like waiting until every number lines up perfectly.

Sometimes faith looks like doing the responsible thing, making the best plan you can, watching the budget, using the points, packing the turkey sandwiches, and going anyway.

Not recklessly.

Not foolishly.

But faithfully.

And maybe that is the lesson Key West keeps teaching me.

Slow down.

Enjoy life.

Trust the process.

And remember that even when the numbers are not where you want them to be, God may still be working behind the scenes.

And hard work pays off and hard work deserves to be rewarded.