Life is full of risk. There will be many difficult decisions to be made, and those decisions will put you at risk. Risk is the possibility of loss or injury. Sometimes, those risks will bring you pain and difficulty. For some, those difficulties involve being hungry, homeless, limited education, no income because of broken families, natural or unnatural causes. In my law enforcement career, I have witnessed men, women, and children with their tribes or families broken. I have heard children cry out, where is my daddy, where is my mommy? I have heard parents cry out, where is my child?

But no matter what hand you have been dealt in life there can be a starting place for your healing process. This healing process, though difficult, can be a beautiful part of living. The difficult moments in life can become lessons learned. There will always be that one difficult decision or opportune moment in life when you can experience your own freedom. For me, it was standing on the top of a mountain crying out, “I am free!” over and over. I probably looked like a crazy person, but in that beautiful moment I didn’t care.

You do not have to be on top of a mountain to experience freedom. You can be taking a walk. You can be driving in your car. You can be with family. You can be in a quiet place by yourself, or at an event where thousands will walk on hot coals. Freedom can come in any of those places and more. Freedom is the lack of specific constraints, when you are not constrained, imprisoned or enslaved. But freedom comes with risk. And sometimes that risk comes from ourselves.

As an entrepreneur each day when you wake up, you will have to battle your own behavior—the many colors of emotion, body sensations, thoughts, urges and actions that try to control and direct you. I believe inside each of us we want to do good and reap its reward of thankfulness, gratefulness and happiness, and not be a person who lives in fear, pain, anger and hurts themselves and others. Each day is a balancing act between those two people. Your battle in life is against yourself.

I believe the entrepreneur inside all of us can be that better person. We can be happier, brighter, stronger, more accomplished, successful, loving, hopeful and giving more when we start with making healthy, good decisions and being kind. The high calling of becoming more of a better person. If each of us will see the importance of being kind to yourself, spouse, children, family, community and others, I believe kindness will cause you to be a better person.

Right now, who are you? Are you an entrepreneur? Single or married, a parent with a child? Are you a child, teenager, young adult, an adult or a senior in years? Are you a business owner, employer, employee, student, husband, wife, parent, child, family member, part of a community, a member of a movement or retired? You’re probably in several of those categories. But here’s a better question: are you being the best version of that person you can be? Are you good staying who you are, right now? Or is there a better person you could become? This begins and ends with your kindness. Every day is an opportunity to observe your behavior with the understanding of what is kindness, goodness, gratefulness, happiness and justice.

All of us have a story to live, a legacy that will be passed forward. Make your kindness that story and that legacy. I believe if entrepreneurs will focus in on the living act of kindness, then our collective fire will burn brighter and our legacy will grow from home, into our community and through our global world.

jerrychuculate@att.net

Interested in reading 99 other stories just like this? Grab The Better Business book here.