In 1993 I launched my seminar and workshop business training court reporters in computerized technologies. Startup was expensive, leaving me with almost no working capital. After the first two workshops proved successful, encouraging and exciting, we decided to book 6 more cities that year. Enrollments came in; expenses soared - it is an old story among entrepreneurs; we often have more enthusiasm than business sense. So even with many enrollments, we were swimming in red ink. Our final event of the year was in Orlando, 65 people paying to attend and some people flying in from other parts of the country. With the red ink we faced, their enrollment money was spent long before the workshop-in other words, there was no way to refund their money or call the event off (not to mention paid airline tickets, confirmed hotel stays, meeting room contracts, etc). We had made firm commitments and rolled all the dice.

Then the unthinkable happened. Three weeks before the Orlando event, my 22 year-old son was diagnosed with an advanced case of lymphoma (cancer). Those three weeks were completely devoted to visiting doctors, hospitals, being involved in his diagnostic tests, etc. We had been booked to leave for Orlando on a Wednesday, two days before the Friday event. Of all days, the team of doctors decided to render their "verdict" of his protocol, including their recommendations for all treatments, on that Thursday. We wanted to rebook our flight (at a cost of over $3,000 - that’s how the airlines treat their best customers) so I could attend the big meeting, but my son insisted that we go to Florida as planned.

As you can imagine, Thursday was one of the most difficult of my life, being almost 3,000 miles away from Todd and his doctors. The next night, that Friday night, I presented my seminar and that Saturday and Sunday I conducted the two-day workshop as planned. My focus was totally on the people, their learning, on their successful experience. I was not in Florida to collect sympathy or give out any kind of emotional neediness. Todd’s health and our personal situation had to go on the back burner for a few days since I also knew he was in good hands and there was nothing I could do anyway other than worry and be upset. No one in the workshop had any clue that my son was ill. We generated great energy, a powerful training and a most successful event. Sunday night I practically collapsed then hopped on the first plane Monday morning, focusing everything once again on my son. The best news: Miraculously and swiftly, he was treated and was cured.

The Lesson: The mind’s ability to focus is a marvelous thing - we can do almost anything when we are clear and know what we want to achieve. Intention works. I’m pretty emotional at times-and even now don’t have a clue how I managed not to break down throughout those three days, but it happened.

But here we are seven years later. I am doing a workshop in Orlando this week and there are some repeat customers. I have built several close friendships from among the attendees back then, and it’s exciting to see what some of those graduates went on to accomplished. But it is especially joyous to think that we’re all in good health this time around.