Excerpt from The Owner's Manual for your Entrepreneurial Spirit
Re-examine everything you have been told . . .dismiss what insults your own soul.
—Walt Whitman, Poet
Chapter #1: The Entrepreneurial Spirit
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse.
You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.
— Margaret Young
The Oxford Mini Dictionary defines an entrepreneur as a “person who organizes a commercial undertaking, especially involving risk.” The same dictionary defines spirit as the “mind or animating principle distinct from body; soul; ghost; person’s nature; characteristic quality; real meaning; liveliness, boldness.” We could say that the entrepreneurial spirit is the driving force by which individuals who dream of a different lifestyle than where they are now, create a new reality for themselves by organizing and executing a successful commercial venture.
It is a force that beckons an individual to pursue countless opportunities in search of that elusive ‘perfect’ commercial venture. The commercial venture should captivate interest and provide freedom and the opportunity of a better lifestyle.
The catalyst for the entrepreneurial quest is usually a dream, a calling, or an idea that just won’t go away. It may or may not seem farfetched. Following the entrepreneurial spirit always contains an element of risk. It can be the risk of failure, or of vulnerability. Or it can mean finding lasting happiness and becoming successful beyond your wildest dreams.
This owner’s manual was written to help you find the commercial venture that is right for you. Not by looking at the ‘what’ of business but rather the ‘who’ of the entrepreneur. Whether that commercial venture takes the form of single owner home office, running a division of a company, launching a new product or running a small business is immaterial. The entrepreneurial spirit must be thoroughly understood in order to reach its fullest potential, and this owner’s manual will help you understand your entrepreneurial spirit and give you concrete tools you can use to create a road map for success.
Follow your bliss. – Joseph Campbell, foremost authority on mythology
Entrepreneurship is magical. I have never felt more alive than at the helm of my own ship, sailing in my own direction towards my own undiscovered paradise. Waking up with my belly on fire eager to start my day was not something I encountered when I was working for anyone else. Here are some of the things that bring out the magic of entrepreneurship:
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· Being your own boss
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· Setting your own hours
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· Choosing your own destination
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· Freedom to work with the best clients
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· Collaboration with other like-minded entrepreneurs
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· Freedom of self-expression
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· Connection with your community
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· More control
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· Financial success limited only by your imagination and business sense
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· Unlimited creativity
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· Your business, on your terms, according to your rules
What magic calls you?
Those of us with the entrepreneurial spirit are a different kind of people. We need a different kind of understanding and our talents need a different sort of cultivation. We have amazing creativity, a wealth of ideas, courage, stamina, stubbornness, drive, will to succeed, skills, insight and strength of character. Often, we have been misunderstood by others and ourselves for so long that our self-esteem is damaged and we unintentionally sabotage our success. This owner’s manual will empower you by taking you on a journey of self-exploration that will ignite your entrepreneurial spirit.
Pitfalls of the Entrepreneurial Spirit
You do NOT have to become someone you’re not. In fact, to be successful you have to be yourself. You simply have to ‘be yourself’’ more consciously, purposefully, and positively than you may have been in the past. – Debra A. Benton, executive coach
As a coach and fellow keeper of an entrepreneurial spirit, I have found several characteristics among entrepreneurs that make them vulnerable. These are common traits and often prevent us from creating the very success we long for.
Common vulnerabilities include:
• Doubt in oneself and one’s ideas
• Inability to focus and concentrate
• Difficulty making decisions for fear of losing opportunities
• Achieving a measure of success without a sense of satisfaction
• General sense of dissatisfaction with oneself and difficulty articulating that dissatisfaction
• Inability to take consistent action
• Being unduly influenced by external forces
• A track record of ‘uns’ –– unfulfilled dreams, unfinished projects, unfocussed ambitions
The good news is that these pitfalls can be overcome. Once they have been pointed out, you can begin to recognize them for yourself. This owner’s manual will provide you with the tools to recognize these vulnerabilities and avoid them in the future.
Tension is who you think you should be; relaxation is who you are. ––Ancient Chinese Proverb
How easy are you willing to have it? Are you ready to let go of struggle and limitations? Are you ready to discover your business with ease and grace?
Over the next 5 chapters we will uncover a process that will make working with your entrepreneurial spirit easy. Follow this process, and spend time considering and answering the questions. A new, renewable energy that comes from deep inside you will be your reward.
Clarity Creates Momentum
Create a momentum that carries you effortlessly through any pitfalls that have plagued you in the past.
Build Internal Credibility
As you strengthen your belief in your vision and yourself, upgrade your attitudes, pay attention to your internal guidance system, and as you bring your thoughts, feelings and actions into alignment, you tap into a limitless power source.
Make Choices
By choosing only the best ideas and working with your best client type, you give yourself the freedom you crave. Only when you make a choice can you focus your energies to achieve your vision.
Focus, Focus, Focus
Using practical techniques, you will become able to focus on actions, ideas and important elements of your business. This will position you for steady progress in building your business.
Reflect on Results and Repeat
By regularly setting aside time for reflection, we are able to step back and examine our actions and the results we have achieved. It is only through the reflection that we learn. We can now choose to repeat what works and leave the rest behind.
