Life is so precious! Yet it is a gift that we understand so little about. And while we may try to avoid thinking about it, we all know that it can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye...

It's hard to imagine the possibility that we may not be around next year, or even tomorrow. Unfortunately, as we mature, it is inevitable that we will experience the death of someone we know well, or even of someone close to us. More often than not, it is only then that we begin to realize that we, too, may be mortal.

When that happens, life and time take on new meaning. We begin to understand that time is the stuff that life is made of. And time is weird stuff! When we're young, an hour seems like forever, but as we get older, time moves faster and faster. We seem never to have enough of it. An hour seems like no time at all. Days, weeks and months fly by at an ever-increasing speed.

Typically, it is not until we are older (I don't know how old; it's different for each of us), that we realize how precious each moment is … how utterly priceless is an hour with your child, a slow Sunday with your spouse, a birthday with your mom or an afternoon with your friends. What I would give for a little more time to take my grandkids fishing, or just to play on the grass with them!

To gain control of our time is to gain control of our lives. In fact, one of the greatest freedoms we can experience is the freedom to manage our own time. Many - too many - people get themselves into situations where someone else dictates how they must spend their time, including when to be where and even who to be with. Many career-minded people have jobs that do this. Of course, there is nothing wrong with having a job that dictates where we will be and when we will be there. On the contrary, it is honorable and fortunate to have such a job. Such jobs support families. The economy would be in a shamble without such jobs. But, on the other hand, these jobs place a tremendous burden and responsibility on individuals to manage the time that is left to their discretion; i.e., the time before and after work.

As we look at that remaining time, however, we find that half of it is taken up by our physical necessity to sleep. A major portion is also taken up by commuting, and still more by the necessity to eat. If we are parents, we are responsible to look after the needs of our children. Before we know it, our entire 24 hours are gone and the day is history! Then, if we look back on that day and feel that we have wasted even a small portion of it, we feel a deep sense of loss. That was part of our very life that we wasted! Worse, if we get in the habit of wasting time, our whole life can be gone before we know it.

I have a college degree in Business Administration. I got good grades. I paid attention to what was taught. Yet never did any of my great professors explain how precious time is, nor did they advise us students to make sure that we chose professions that would allow us to manage our own time. If they had, I'm sure I would have taken notes! But I'm not sure what I would have done with that information. I would not have been aware of a single job opportunity that would have let me manage my own time. When I graduated and interviewed with search firms and companies, none of them suggested that being my own boss would be part of the deal! They were looking for new employees that would do what they wanted them to do, when they wanted them to do it!

Melaleuca was not around back then. Even if it had been, I wouldn't think it wise counsel to advise a young man or woman just graduating from college to forgo a normal career and go full-time into building a Melaleuca business. Nor do we advise college students to do that now. Oh, yes, I do know of some who have done just that and have done very well! In fact, two of our Corporate Directors have essentially done that. Still, we do not advise it. Rather, we suggest that people keep their normal careers and build a Melaleuca business to supplement their income...at first.

Then, we advise them to manage their free time in a way that allows them to consistently invest a significant amount into their business. When I say consistent, I mean several hours, several nights per week. If they spend that time wisely by enrolling new customers and working with those customers who want to build a business, then that investment will return great dividends.

As people pass the threshold of Executive Director or Executive Director II or III, the time may come when they decide to dedicate their full time to their Melaleuca businesses. At that point, they become truly free to take charge of every minute of their life. Without question, they will need to continue to devote substantial time to their businesses in order for them to continue to grow and prosper. But now they can decide how much time, and when. They can make it to the kids' baseball games or take the day off for birthdays - or a week to travel across the country to visit friends and do some business on the way. (There is nothing wrong with making your vacation tax deductible!)

I know of no opportunity that is available to the average American or average Canadian like the Melaleuca opportunity. Providing a chance for people to take charge of their own lives is a powerful driver for me. I am thrilled to hear stories of people who have changed their own lives because they consistently invested time in their own businesses. I believe it's a good thing, what we are doing here. I appreciate those who have joined us in this endeavor.

To those who are already getting a tremendous return out of their Melaleuca businesses, I say congratulations! You deserve it! You've worked hard! The reason you are prospering is because of your own efforts and because of the investment you have made in yourself and in your future!

To those who have not yet built a thriving Melaleuca business, I would say: Prosperity is waiting for you to reach out and grab it. It takes consistent hard work, but if you want financial freedom … and the freedom to be in charge of your own life … you can have it. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that. What is your life worth, anyway?

Sincerely,

Frank