It was Napoleon who said, "All leaders are purveyors of hope." That is why I'm so grateful for what you do. As an entrepreneur with a home-based business you offer people hope. You offer them a way out. You offer a way for their pressures to diminish and their joy to be rediscovered.

Today, more than any time in my life, there is a rapidly escalating need for the hope of millions of individuals to be restored. This hope is needed among the elderly, the boomers, gamers, and generations X and Y. It is needed in all walks of life. It is needed by those living with credit card debt they cannot eradicate. It is needed by the millions of people who are upside down on their home mortgages. It is needed by those who are watching their investment portfolios take huge hits. It is needed by those who are staggered at the price of fuel for their car, food for their family, and college for their kids.

Just in case you have forgotten the importance of what you do in your business, allow me to borrow an excerpt from my book, Success Happens regarding the power of hope.

Initially, I felt foolish. I knew I was playing a sucker's game. I was aware that the mathematical probability of winning was less than my chance of being struck by lightning. But when I thought about what I had to lose, there were only two things at risk: a few bucks and a couple of hours. Having both of these in adequate supply, I decided to play. So I got into my car, made the 30-minute drive, stood in line and waited an hour for my turn to purchase a lottery ticket. Surprisingly, it turned out to be one of the most profitable hours of my life—not because I won the Powerball jackpot 295.7 million dollars, but because I was reminded of the power of hope.

The line to the ticket window was a block long. People came from all over the Washington DC metropolitan area and surrounding states. Many had risen in the middle of the night to drive five and six hours to purchase their lottery tickets. Upon arrival, the pattern was the same for most people—we would silently take our place in the line, preparing to wait for the next hour, then notice the people ahead in line were smiling, upbeat, and making eye contact with those around them. Then someone would invite the new arrivals into the conversation by asking how long they had driven, where they had come from, etc. Before long, most of the people in line were talking, sharing, and laughing like old friends—the fact that we were people from all over the world and all walks of life quickly blurred. A person's culture, color, or economic stature had no bearing on their acceptance into the conversation. All were welcome. When each of us finally got our turn to purchase a ticket, all the others offered a wish of good luck before saying goodbye.

As I drove home I marveled at what I had just observed: the profound impact of hope in human beings. From the time these people waited in line until they discovered who won, they were infused with hope. For one brief moment, their dreams seemed possible—and the simple possibility of financial freedom, as remote as it was, brought out their best. It changed their disposition. It lightened the weight of their worries. And it released within them the freedom to be more of who they really were: kind people with good hearts and a desire to laugh at life and enjoy those around them.

Admittedly, the lottery offers a hope that is irrational, improbable, and short-lived. Since most participants know this, why do they play? They play because slim hope is far more bearable than no hope. Psychologically, there is a vast difference between these two views of life. Having spent a lifetime counseling on the most personal levels of human interaction and candor, I know the horrific damage that feeling stuck, trapped, and hopeless can wreak in a person's life. I have also witnessed the transforming power that comes from a person discovering hope. (Page 154-155)

And you, through your business, allow people to rediscover the power of hope. So today, I want to thank you for being an entrepreneur who dared to dream and then launched a business that can change your life and the lives of countless others who urgently need what you have.

I also understand that while you believe your business is important to others, many of you don't know how to connect the importance of your business to the very real pressures that millions are trying to grapple with. In a couple of weeks I will make available to you an on-line class that will help you understand how to do this. The same leadership and communication skills that I teach to Members of Congress and to Fortune 500 Corporations I will, for the first time, make available to you.

But for now I just want to say thank you. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for what you do. In case you have forgotten, your life and your business matter.

Committed to your success,
Tom Barrett, Ph.D.

P. S. Now more than ever! Be certain to have all of those in your organization become subscribers to this free Barrett Bulletin. It will be their main source of information for upcoming free classes and products that I will be making available.