If you’re not interested in another write up about the eclipse then skip to the final paragraph that specifically states what the crux of the biz of you is.  Otherwise, feel free to read the following account to see how it relates to managing the biz of you.

We\ took two days off from work and school, drove two couple-hour trips in two separate days to stay two nights in a beat up hotel to see two minutes of a solar eclipse totality. Was it worth it? Without a doubt! As some of our travel companions said:

• “I’m speechless.  I’ve never seen it’s equal.” Jordan
• “I liked it when I could take off the glasses” (and look directly at the eclipse) Jaxson
• “It’s pretty frickin cool.  I wished it would’ve lasted longer but then it wouldn’t have been so special.” Jessica
• “It was off the surface of this planet.” Melissa
• “Cold, thrilled, awed and bathed in surreal light.” Jason C.
• “It was amazing.” Jason F.
• “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.” Gillian 
• “Unique” Ron
• “I was disappointed there’s no repeat performance.” Suzy

We walked around on the morning of the eclipse. We found a grassy area filled with dandelions and other flowering weeds behind the little shopping area next to our hotel in Alliance, Nebraska. On the shop side there were a few hundred people in the parking lot. There were no parking spots left around our hotel and the Kmart just down the hill was over flowing with people.  Along highway 385, people were parked along side the road. Behind the shopping center there were only four groups of people including our own.  We however had more than enough space off the beaten path damn near in direct alignment with the path of totality. We played and talked freely in a nice relaxed atmosphere away from the crowd.

For over an hour we checked off and on to see the black disc of the moon crawl across the sun.  We felt the life-giving energy slowly fade away.  Darkness slowly crept up upon us. Shadows became crisp around the edges causing the kids to run from them and adults to marvel.  The darkness started coming from the wrong side of the sky in the West. Jaxson noticed the first star appear mid day over the plains of Allison Nebraska.  Venus and Haydes shown brightly as the black disc made its last reach across the sun.

We blacked out precisely as predicted by age old astronomical algorithms. Night time fell quickly during the last few moments of sunlight. The temperature dropped significantly with blankets coming and requests for snuggling.  The black disc fully covered the sun  allowing us to see how  the sun’s corona reaches across the heavens above.  Three main shards of silver light were hard to look away from.  When we did, the sky was reddish orange all around the horizon in every direction and the night sky above. With an eternal sunset and stars grasping to take back the night, the black hole sun looked like a portal to infinity.   It was humbling while connecting us to cosmic rhythms throughout time.

As the darkness moved eastward and light rose in the West, the blinding diamond ring in the sky pierced the black hole on the upper right side.  Thin red fire could be seen dancing on the edge of the black disc just before scintillating rays of the whitest light exploded into view as the sun peaked around the edge.  Total eclipses are completely different than partial eclipses and I now understand why some people commit their life resources in pursuit of seeing every total eclipse they can.  The experience was quick and ephemeral leaving us all in a state of awe and longing for a second showing of the event.  Like all amazing experiences, it is etched in our minds along with each of our unique contortions of meaning.

What does an experience of the eclipse have to do with managing the biz of you?  For your business perhaps nothing.  For me, it does not change how I go about my business.  It does, however, add to the plethora of experience in my life which my biz enables. Therein lies the crux of managing the biz of you.  Only you can decide what’s worth draining your time off at work to zero and trekking hundreds of miles for a two minute event.  If it’s not worth your time, energy and work benefits then don’t do it.  If it is, do what it takes to make it happen.  Managing the biz of you doesn’t get any simpler than that.  Decide what experiences are important to you and commit your resources as you are able in your particular situation.

If you’d like to open a dialog on this or any topic on this blog, feel free to email jacob@bizofyou.com

I apologize for any typos, punctuation or grammar errors.
Feel free to comment and let me know of my errors so I may correct them and better my biz.