I'm familiar with the saying "the proof is in the pudding," but I have to say lately that this saying isn't true for me.  Lately for me, the proof has been in choosing not to eat the pudding.  Anyone who knows me knows that one of my favorite things to do is eat.  Anything that trumps this priority in my life is very... VERY important to me.  The last couple of weeks, I've skipped lunch all together.  Now, I know what you're thinking.  The real Josh is locked in a broom closet somewhere, and the dude writing this somehow got his hands on some polyjuice potion and is putting it to good use. 

On my short drive to work, I'm visualizing meeting with a customer.  I walk into their home wearing my official looking polo shirt with my logo on my left breast.  I shake their hand and I kindly decline when they offer me a drink.  They take me on a short tour of the area that they are wanting to remodel and I ask questions about what they envision for it. I'm taking pictures with my cell phone and I'm measuring the size of the area and I'm making notes.  After all of this, I sit down across from them and I ask them various pointed questions like: How would you like me to price your job?  In other words, is high quality your priority?  Or are you more concerned with a more economical bottom line?  How do you like to be communicated with?  When are you most free in your schedule so that I can set our various appointments during those times.  Your total price will include my design help throughout the process, but if you were wanting to do it on your own or hire your own designer, I can give you a price break.  I go on to explain what separates me from the competition.  Throughout the process, they see the forethought and they are impressed. They like me as a person and that raises their comfort level and they begin to trust me.  By the time I leave I have a feeling that, I've got this sale in the bag.  As I'm walking out the door, I'm on my phone sending pictures and measurements to some of the contractors that I believe will be the right fit for the customer I'm working with.  I choose the guy who gives me a lower price and I get an idea of his schedule.  I figure out what money I will need to make on the job, and by this time I've made it home so I can write up the estimate and send it to the customer.

It's a bit weird if you ask me, but I am a bit of an odd sort anyways, so this is to be expected.  It's a great feeling to truly believe that you are approaching the work and life that God had planned for you all along.  Like you're finally able to wear clothes that fit you or you've finally finished all of your general education courses and you're able to finally start focusing on your chosen major.It's a feeling of such intense excitement, I have to will myself to focus while I'm at work, while I'm at home.  I am going through the process of getting a home improvement license and I called their office five consecutive days last week to check the status of the registration form I had faxed in.  Finally, the office lady told me to give it another weeks wait before calling back.  "Don't worry m'am... I've got important stuff to do in the meantime... Like trying on my company logo shirt on a few more hundred times."