My life journey has become even more interesting of late. Suddenly it has become a time of serious challenge to some of my tightly held thoughts and ideals. My last 6 months have been spent trying to better understand myself. In that time I have written about a better life on the other side of wealth, power, and prestige. I now know with certainty that the life I aspire to is one filled with family and charity and lived in harmony with my values.

And then I was offered this contract to do some consulting work in Africa.....

For most people, this would be a time of great celebration. I mean a consulting contract for two projects handed to you on a silver platter has to be the rarest of windfalls? Or is it?

I have enjoyed my time with my family. I have thoroughly enjoyed the philanthropic side of my life. And I most certainly have enjoyed my photography and surfing time. Now I need to give it all up in order to earn that distasteful thing called money. I suppose that it does not have to be distasteful. Perhaps I am still smarting from my own corporate experiences which have left this permanent bad taste in my mouth. Sure I need to give up a lot of wonderful things but there are things to be gained, like the start of a new business venture, and a major challenge to my abilities (something that I thrive on). Oh and of course they will pay me too, which could possibly support my interesting lifestyle for a while.

Of course the timing is all wrong! My book is now two thirds complete and I would really like to have finished it before moving onto this business of making enough money to support my family. My initial thinking was that I would do whatever it took to just bring in enough for our family to survive without compromising our time together and the value I can add as a father and as a husband. I suppose that thinking was pretty romantic, instead I have been presented with a different opportunity to embrace. I will need to make some sacrifices but there are many benefits too. More than that, this contract has been structured in such a way that I will be spending plenty of my time working from home. Could I get it any better?

I should be ecstatic. This is possibly the start of my own management consultancy. Yet, sitting in a corporate jet last week, winging my way into Africa and eating one of the best fillet steaks I have ever eaten for breakfast, I had a realisation. Managing my desire for wealth, power and prestige was going to be incredibly hard when once again submerged into this working world. This is something that makes me very uncomfortable as it is everything I left behind for the better and simpler life I am now living.

A friend in whom I confided my misgivings gave me some interesting advice. He said that I had been blessed with six months in which to understand the depths of my need for the things that I know are destructive. He went on to suggest that perhaps I was now being given another chance to jump back into the lions den and do it better this time. Not only that, to also influence those still in the den whose pursuit for money, power, and prestige has corrupted their lives.

And so my wife and I opened the doors to our new consultancy last week Tuesday. A whole new life has begun, one filled with new and old doors. Some to be opened and some to be bolted shut! I hope and pray that I can avoid the mistakes I made in the past and find that elusive life that will allow me to be a force for good in this world! I look forward to keeping you up to date on how it all turns out.