It’s hard to believe the transformation I have experienced in 10 months. Last summer I felt God calling me to leave the position I had been in for 21 years and start a brand new thing.

I’m not one to run into new territory easily. But after much prayer and thought and reflection and meditation (lots of moments of quiet and waking up in the middle of the night in prayer and scripture) I knew this was what I was supposed to do. To start my own CPA firm.

I had a mentor that I would confide in and he told me that in this new venture to set boundaries.

I listened and contemplated. But in all seriousness, I couldn’t see why I would need boundaries. I would laugh to myself and wonder how I would pay all the bills if I only got six clients.

Let me remind you that I am an introvert. I enjoy sitting in my office and working. But I knew with this new venture I would have to get out of my shell a little.

I’m still an introvert, but I started posting videos. Little by little, these videos started to spread. People were referring their friends and family to us. Many times I would ask a new client how they heard about us and a few times they would look at me and shrug. They couldn’t remember. They just heard through someone about us. I sometimes wonder if this is how God works.

As our business continued to grow I had another friend say, “you can be the biggest firm in Henderson.”

But the biggest was never what I wanted.

I wanted to stay small. Not stretch myself to thin. Give good service. Be available for our clients. And have a more balanced life.

As the saying goes, bigger is not always better.

Over a month ago we started to get a tidal wave of new clients and it was starting to overwhelm me. We were saying yes because the clients needed help. I started thinking, okay, I can hire more people. We can take on more work. We can grow.

But deep down, that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to stay small, but my heart was saying you can take care of everything like you always did. But my heart was also forgetting how tired and worn out from always taking care of everything I had gotten.

I had lunch with my mentor in the last month and I was explaining my scenario. He once again said I needed to setup boundaries.

I nodded my head. I agreed. Then he asked a simple question.

“What do you want your firm to look like?”

I thought for a moment and then said, “I just want to stay small.”

He said, “you just answered your own question.”

I went back to work and talked to Kristin and Linda and said what I was thinking and they agreed. Small is better.

But small is also hard when people keep asking to come to us. It has been hard saying no to clients I have worked with in the past. Clients who were always friendly and nice. But I have set my boundary line.

If I allow the boundary line to move, it could possibly cause the whole boundary to collapse.

So often, we hear faith is about saying yes. But sometimes, God calls us to say no. To say no to trusting in our ways and trusting His. Saying no to worldly fame and being content with humility. Saying no to financial rewards that will turn to dust. Saying no to man made sandcastles that will crumble with stress.

It has been hard saying no.

But as my mentor told me, “Eric, they will be fine. There are other CPAs.” And that has taken a weight off my shoulders.

I tell people all the time, “I’m just Eric. Nothing special. Just Eric.”

And at the end of the day, I like this new Eric.

I hope this gives you some peace about your future. That the place you are in right now doesn’t have to be the place you are in next year. Trust His timing. Trust the Planner. Trust in Him.

And when He says to set a boundary, set one.

Peace