Preparing to Flourish- Part 4

“You can’t do that.”

If a face can launch a thousand ships, then without a doubt these four simple words have launched a million innovations.  

It is a special person that hears these words and accepts them as a challenge. I know many such persons. They are called Entrepreneurs. Game Changers. Innovators. They use these kinds of words as a launchpad. Instead of shriveling up in defeat, they roll up their sleeves and begin to alter the course of the world. Instead of viewing the naysayer as a big wet blanket, this person becomes their biggest inspiration.

I ought to know. Someone once said these words to my sister. It was just what she needed to inspire her to become the good doctor that she is, in the fair city of Boston. And when Jack Nicholson won his Academy Award, he said something like, “I dedicate this to my agent—who told me ten years ago I had no business being an actor.”

What is the difference between inspired and discouraged? What kind of environment produces the likes of Einstein, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Graham Bell? They were often rejected, discounted, forgotten, overlooked, and even ridiculed. Many a genius has been told they would never make it.

And I have to wonder if their genius would have ever fully developed without this resistance.

The more they were knocked down, the more they stood tall. The more they were discounted, the more it confirmed the value of their work. The more they were hindered, the more they persisted. It is not sunshine and rainbows that causes someone to succeed. Sometimes success is found in the very obstacles themselves.

These past few weeks we have been discussing how small business is a lot like farming. A farmer must prepare and do many things to ensure a crop will grow and flourish. There are many internal hindrances that we entrepreneurs place in our own way, and a seismic shift in thinking is needed to overcome them. But there are just as many external obstacles in our environment that we must plow through as well. We will stumble over these rocks if we do not recognize them for what they are.

Here are just a few:

Endless wet blankets. Unfortunately, the words “you can’t do that” are often uttered by those near and dear to us. A lack of support from family and your significant other can undermine your confidence. The more you love them, the more their words affect you. Maybe you need more support. Maybe your family does not believe in you. Maybe you wish they would show more interest. Whenever someone has power to pull our strings, it is because we have given them permission. We need something from that person. What is it? Identify that something, so that you can diffuse its power. If someone is pulling the rug out from underneath your feet, you do not have to remove that person from your life. Sell the rug. Keep in mind even Jesus’s family that thought he was nuts!

Endless shoulds. Shoulds are another kind of pressure put upon us by people who feel they know what we should be doing better than we do. When you have to make tough choices to achieve your goal, you will not always receive applause. Some might be jealous of your tenacity, others may be jealous of your time, and still others may not like you anymore. You cannot please everyone. “Why don’t you just forget about this crazy idea and get a nice steady job working for your Uncle Bob?” Keep in mind you do not want to get to the end of your life to find out you are now as boring as your Uncle Bob. 

Endless rejections and strike outs. The more you are out there doing what you are born to do, the more you will be rejected. Rejection is a constant. Your strike outs will increase because you are creating more opportunity to strike out. Keep in mind, you are also creating more opportunity to succeed. Babe Ruth had more strikeouts (1,330) than he had home runs (714).

Endless monkey wrenches. No business is without problems. Every problem is a chance to improve systems, management, and leadership skills. You can plan on having employee problems, insurance issues, and conflicts from miscommunication. You will always have more red tape and more government regulations than you would like to have. It is all a part of the game, and the game is only won if you play by the rules. Having a bad day? Keep in mind, those no good, horrible, very bad days, can lead you to the biggest improvements in your business systems.

Endless competition. If you are doing your best work, you need never fear the competition. Your biggest competitor in business will be your own apathy. It takes a lot of work to get a business up and running. Once your systems are on a roll, there is a strong temptation to sit back and run on autopilot. Keep in mind, coasting is akin to going backward.

Rather than a liability, our external environment is often the source of our greatest growth. Rotten stuff, stirred up in the soil, will create the best plants and the most beautiful blooms. Hot water? Make tea. Trash? Create treasures. Let the daily struggle make you stronger.

I dedicate this post to all the entrepreneurs who have made a commitment to overcome in the daily struggles of business. Do not allow your business to bring out the beast in you. Let it help you become your very best.

Is this series helpful to you? Are you experiencing a seismic change in your environment? Tell me about it below. I would appreciate your thoughts. 

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Why do we at etc!graphics inc, a graphic design company, care about your business strategies?  Because no matter how beautiful your graphics, they will never make more sense than the clarity of your own vision. The clearer your vision, the more lucid your marketing will be, and the better connection you will make with your target customer. We want to help you find the gold in your business. Join us all this month as we share ways to help your small business sustain and grow in a crowded marketplace. Etc!Graphics is devoted to helping you, the small business owner, think like a marketer.