Eric awoke early and waited impatiently until it was a respectable time to call Max. Both excited and nervous, he couldn't wait to pass his idea onto him and hear his partner's opinion. At 8 a.m. sharp, he made the call.

“Max, do you have a minute? I think I just might have a solution to our historic battlefield problem, and I'd love to hear your opinion,” he said.

“Well, you sound excited. Sure, I've got a few minutes. Go ahead.”

“Okay. Keep in mind that we want to respect our service members and veterans and their sacrifices. According to everything I've heard, the best way to do that is to make sure the land remains undeveloped and the site is undisturbed. We already know what that means—we cannot develop that property,” Eric explained.

“All right. I get that,” Max replied.

“Now, we also know that neither of us wants to abandon the project. It will be a huge financial loss for you and a major career setback for me. There is the possibility that we could create a buffer zone and build around the site. We'd have to take our losses and figure out how much profit margin we have left. By reducing the size of the lots, we could make up some of that loss, but I think that would be less appealing to potential buyers,” Eric continued.

“I can see you've thought this out, so what do you propose?” Max asked.

“I say let's make this battlefield a focal point and build the development around it. We'd erect a fence and create a buffer zone to protect and preserve the area, and then build a walking trail that goes around it and through the entire development. On the outer boundary, we'd lose several lots, but we could erect a community building there. I'll get back to that in a second. Max, we'd keep the log cabin theme, but join it with the historic aspect of battlefields. Strategically placed along the walking trail would be signs that provide education and information about the battles fought here and in surrounding areas. Oh, and we'd name the development ‘Liberty Trails’ and erect a monument at the entrance.”

“Interesting. Unique. You know, Eric, I'd have to see the plans and, of course, we'd have to get approval from the appropriate authorities, but it might just work,” Max agreed.

“There's more—I was thinking that the community building could be used for meetings, parties, and events for veterans. We could rent it out to individuals or organizations. Inside, it would pay tribute to the history of the land and what the soldiers fought for. We could even offer the oversight and management of the community building to veterans—there are plenty out there, and they're very dedicated to those who have fought before and alongside them. There are plenty of groups, like the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Daughters of the American Revolution. Even the National Guard hosts community events and memorials. Can you see it? Can you see how we can turn this major obstacle into a selling point that actually benefits our development and appeals to both the public and the historic and military communities?”

“I think you're onto something, Eric. Do me a favor, will you, and give a call to our architects. Sit down with them and explain just what you proposed to me and see how quickly they can develop new plans,” Max said.

“Sure thing! I'll call them as soon as we hang up. In the meantime, though, how do I handle our next meeting? I don't want to reveal too much, just in case it won't fly. But I do want them to know that we are diligently working on an alternative that will protect the battlefield and pay homage to veterans.”

“I understand, Eric. You know, sometimes it is the way we handle things that determines the outcome. The situation we are in is already a delicate one, and you have to be prepared to deal with different personalities, as well as the missions and desires of different organization. As you've probably learned, they have had to advocate and fight for the preservation of their history and beliefs in a society that doesn't always respect the sacrifices they've witnessed. It's a shame, but sometimes developers only see dollar signs, and come hell or high water, they're going to do what it takes to get their money, even if it creates hardship or infringes on someone's beliefs,” he said. Letting out a chuckle, he continued. “That drive is probably okay when dealing with government bureaucrats and the red tape they can strangle us with, but not when it comes to the respected groups we're dealing with here. We want to be developers who are welcomed by communities, not developers who are feared or worse, ostracized at every turn.”

“So what do I do?” Eric asked.

“See how quickly you can get plans created first. When you walk into the meeting, repeat that we respect their beliefs and want to work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution. Make it very clear that you agree that the battlefield site should remain intact and undisturbed and ask them to consider working with us to create a development that pays tribute to the injured and fallen soldiers and becomes a historic landmark for the entire community. Oh, that's another thing—contact the historical society and find out what we have to do to get the county to declare the site a historical landmark. That means that we'll have to give them some level of input in the development and plans, but it is a good faith move. I think you'll find that the different parties will appreciate that you've already explored the idea—it provides them with verification that we're not just saying what they want to hear, but ready and willing to act on it,” Max offered.

“Got it,” Eric said while quickly jotting down notes on his tablet. “So, Max, do you really think this could fly?”

“I think it's got potential, real potential. That doesn't mean it's not going to be without problems. There is a lot of work to be done and layers of approval before we can get started again. And it hasn't escaped my attention that we're going to lose some lot sales, which will dip into our profits…and we have no idea how much the fence, the trail, the community building, or the plaques and signs will cost. It could be significant, but it's better than abandoning the project—and I don't like the thought of rezoning or splitting the land and selling it off. Who knows, Eric, Liberty Trails might appeal to homeowners so much that the lots sell themselves!”

Eric laughed. “I'm not so sure that's going to happen. I would have been happy if the log cabins had been the big appeal here.”

“It looks like we'll never know. But there is one thing I do know, Eric, and it's that I admire you for having the vision and creativity to find a viable solution. There are a lot of developers who would have stuck adamantly to their original plans, fought to the end, and probably lost the public's approval. There are also some who would have cut their losses right away and thrown in the towel, writing the project off as a failure,” Max said.

“If it was only up to you, what would you have done, Max?”

“That's hard to say. I think I would have tried to salvage whatever we could of the project, but that's another thing we'll never know. You, on the other hand, found an angle that not only cuts our losses, but also leaves plenty of room for profit, if we play it right. I'm amazed and impressed. Just a couple days ago, I was beginning to believe that this purchase and development was a failure,” he said.

After hanging up the phone, Eric made an appointment to meet with the architects that afternoon, figuring that once he was done there, he'd stop in at the historical society for a discussion. That done, he called Carl, anxious to share his plan with him.

“I'm impressed, young man,” Carl said with sincerity.

“I couldn't have done it without you. And the tokens. I was at my wit's end and about ready to throw in the towel when I pulled out the tokens you'd given me. Then I started to wonder how my grandpa would have dealt with this situation, and how your mastermind group of multimillionaires would have reacted,” Eric said.

“And what was your guess?” Carl asked.

“I figured that they had become successful because they didn't stop when they encountered obstacles. Actually, it might have inspired them even more. I have to admit that facing failure is challenging. Coming up with possible solutions is even more difficult. But, Carl, I discovered that there's something really rewarding about knowing you can find a solution if you look hard enough—and that the solution can actually become a positive for everyone. It really makes you feel like you've moved a mountain and accomplished something.”

“That's what sets apart leaders and those who are successful from those who are not, Eric. Successful people don't give up. If they want something, they find a way to make it happen. To them, obstacles are temporary setbacks. Some even believe they are opportunities. All of them know that there is no such thing as failure, even if they do have to abandon their plans. They know that the only failure is the inability to learn something valuable. Experience is a very valuable lesson, as I'm sure you now know.”

“I can see that now. It sure makes my former problems seem small,” Eric laughed. “I have to admit, I was feeling a little self‐pity—I'd just been given a huge opportunity that had turned into a lemon.”

“But you turned it from something that left a bitter taste in your mouth to something that could actually be very appealing to a lot of people. It takes persistence to do that, as well as passion and dedication. And sometimes you have to let go of your original ideas—it's like the 3M employee, what's his name? Ah, yes, Spencer Silver. Anyway, he created the adhesive for post‐it notes, you know, those sticky notes people put on everything nowadays. Well, it was too light to adhere to anything and not permanent, so management deemed it unusable. Years later, a guy named Arthur Fry found a use for it and Post‐It notes became a phenomenon, a household word. You see, Silver was creating an adhesive, but it wasn't quite the glue he was originally going for. It took Fry to see that it had other possibilities and that those possibilities were even bigger and better than the original idea.”

Max continued. “You did the same thing, Eric. You were creating a development, but unforeseen circumstances threw a wrench in your plans. You didn't abandon your plan, though. You found a way to turn your development into something that did work, even though it wasn't how you originally envisioned it would be. It's the mark of success, Eric. Your grandfather was quite good at it, too. He was adept at figuring out a way to profit from failure. He'd be proud of you. I know I am,” Carl stated.

“Thank you. That really means a lot to me. Now, I just have to sell this idea to the powers that be and hope everyone concerned can see this is a win‐win for all of us. But first I have to meet with the architects and hope they can grasp the concept and portray it well on paper. Wish me luck!” Eric said.

“Luck has nothing to do with it, Eric. Take another look at those tokens and read what they say. The tokens will provide you with what you need,” Carl assured him.