The following is a true story...

Yesterday I received a phone call from a friend whom I last talked to almost two years ago.

Like other people, I was surprised to hear her voice.

She heard from a mutual friend that I just set up a fitness studio and she wanted to ask me about my new venture and as well as what's going on in my life.

To my surprise again, she told me that she was retrenched from her job 6 months ago. She admitted that she was very sad about the layoff. She didn't know what she did wrong in her job that she was retrenched.

You and I know that there is no apparent reason when companies want to lay off people. Sometimes, it's just bad luck.

>From the way she talked, I could tell that she has become stronger and more mature. She's more open to new ideas and opportunities.

That's not all. She told me another shocking news: her dad passed away 3 months before she was retrenched.

I was like "Oh my God, how could she take it?"

How on earth a young lady could ever take the pressure of facing the death of her loved one and losing her job within 3 months' time?

What would you do if these happened to you? Give up on life?

She told me that she got to be strong and she didn't want her mom to see her depressed.

I'm so happy for her that these untoward incidents actually made her to stop and think about her life and re-prioritize her life, which she never did before.

She turned the loss of loved one and loss of job into power and strength.

Because of these incidents, she had the courage and decided to be her own boss by joining her friends in a business venture. She feels that she has now more control of her life and career.

She explained to me that she now gains more satisfaction from life which she never felt before.

Is this what we call "blessing in disguise" for her? My friend has definitely changed a lot...at least for the better.

Most of us will not budge from our comfort zone unless something very dramatic happens to us: loss of loved ones, divorce, loss of job, or sickness.

How many of us dream of being our own boss but no action taken?

Do you want what happened to my friend to happen to you so that you'd really sit down and think about your life? And do things that you really love?

Or, do you want to do it now?

The choice is yours.

Do not wait for things to happen. Take charge of your life proactively. Take my friend's experience as an inspiration to live your dreams.

About The Author

Abel Cheng offers small and medium enterprises exclusive global profits insider tips in his free publication, Abel Cheng's Business Diary. To officiate a bi-weekly subscription, please go to http://www.abelcheng.com/diary.html.