Monday, September 26, 2011

Pressure can crack pipes, but it can also create diamonds...

“My whole life I have never stopped dreaming. We all have dreams, but here is what is different about dreams today: Now is the time to dream big, because even during tough times like these, you can still make your dreams happen. I know there’s a lot of pressure outside, inside — economic pressure, social pressure. Remember, pressure can crack pipes. But it can also create diamonds.” – Russell Simmons

                                  

As I was conversing to a close female colleague (Entering The World of Business) the other day about social pressures, I couldn’t help but to post the following quote.  In the lonely world of business, entrepreneurs are faced with several internal and external variables. The intriguing enigma, is that running organizations or even building them, are not the testing factors, and come very easy in time.  The hardest part about being an entrepreneur is dealing with all the bullshit from our friends and family (ALSO KNOWN AS SOCIAL PRESSURE).  

As I was mentoring this young 21yr old grasshopper , I couldn’t help but to inform her that it takes a strong mind and person to step in the battle field that we call business.  As her age, experience, education, along with many other compensating factors, act as a injurious weapons.

Which leads me to my next commentary, avoiding the unhappy and unlucky.  In business and in life, the following law holds some serious accountability. 

As Mr. Robert Greene states, “You can die from someone else’s misery- emotional states are as infectious as disease.  You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you.  Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.  Never associate with those who share your defects- they will reinforce everything that holds you back. Only create associations with positive affinities. Make this a rule of life and you will benefit more that from all the therapy in the world.”

This simple statement can be depicted as the law of attraction.  If you associate with successful and happy people, than you too will become successful and HAPPY….and if you desire to associate with the weak and unhappy, than you too will join the emotional dogma they call life. 
 
Now on to the next proclamation; having the foresight and the vision to capitalize on opportunity.  As Mr. Simmons states, “My whole life I have never stopped dreaming. We all have dreams, but here is what is different about dreams today: Now is the time to dream big, because even during tough times like these, you can still make your dreams happen.”  

Please do not interpret this quote as the right to dream and constantly sleep.  As the fact is that 80 percent of society dreams, and the other 20 percent actually gets off of their lazy asses and does something about it.  As age and time are two congruent fortunes that must be harnessed.  If you have the age and your young enough to take on risk, than do it!   Now if you’re like most of my colleagues in their late 30’s and so on, you will have to use your prior life experience (TACIT AND EXPLICIT) knowledge to take on calculated risk, leverage, and execute.

Furthermore, as most of you know, I’m a firm believer of writing from the heart.  As through the years, I have opened myself and allowed all of you to enter the world of a young mouse, living in a world amongst lions.  As a young entrepreneur, I can definitely vouch to the fact that business is easy, its life that’s hard.  

I will end the following memoir as such, Don't let anyone, and I mean anyone, stop you from accomplishing your goals, visions, or dreams.  Now here is the underlying factor, If you have something in life that you want to accomplish greatly, you are going to have to give up your happiness.  I know there’s a lot of pressure outside, inside — economic pressure, social pressure. Remember, pressure can crack pipes. But it can also create diamonds....now can you handle it?

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