I was raised in the country and love to be outdoors. Spending time with my family has always been a goal, but for many years the time left in my schedule limited what we could do and when we could do it.

After losing my job of 20 years at the dawn of the current depresion I had a choice to make. Either paint myself as a vicitm of the current economic slump or use this time and experience to redirect my life. We went to Disney World.

Treating the loss of my job as a celebration may have seemed strange to many, but during our trip I was able to see my father for the last time before he passed earlier this year. Every day I'm forced to be thankful and celebrate because God has directly answered my prayers for more time with my family.

My focus isn't primarily finding another job because I know jobs aren't dependable. My focus isn't even on making money although money seems to follow successful people. My primary focus is upon making a difference.

I've been blessed to lead the music ministry in our local church for almost five years now so making a difference is certainly an experience that has already touched my life.

Being on hand while my youngest daughter transitioned from age 2 to 4 helped me to realize how many opportunities a father who spends all of his time away from home can miss. I'm thankful for the relationships I have with all of my girls, but they'll tell you it's different for their youngest sister. Not only because she's the youngest, but because she's spent valuable time with her father during those fleeting formative years.

With the capability of doing business directly with people around the country and around the world my biggest concern is how to give myself to them like they were my own family.

One last thing that I'm thankful for is the community of networking professionals who've already reached out to help me. It is my earnest desire to position myself as an instrument of encouragement for this community.

Wishing everyone a better networking experience,

David Beairsto