04 Lessons For New Entrepreneurs

I have been an entrepreneur for over ten years. With only one company, but that has changed so much that it’s like I’ve created several. My journey has not been a walk in the park. Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve had my ups and downs. And there have been times when I’ve had what some might call a breakdown, but I’ve been able to get through them. For that, I didn’t need to call a psychiatrist. I just read. A LOT. From Stoic philosophers to Lao Tzu and his Tao Te Ching, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Carl Jung. Biographies of entrepreneurs too. Not to mention some speakers like Eckhart Tolle or Wayne Dyer…

What did I get out of it?

1. That everything is a matter of choice.

You can choose between seeing the universe as benevolent, i.e., to see life rolling for you or going against you.

It all comes down to this.

If you choose, as I do, the first option, then the consequences on your life will be immense. You will see it in a completely different and beautiful way. If you choose the second, your life will be miserable.

“If we decide that the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly and that God is essentially “playing dice with the universe,” then we are simply victims to the random toss of the dice, and our lives have no real purpose or meaning.” Albert Einstein

By seeing the universe as benevolent, you will understand several things:

That, as Albert Einstein says, life has meaning and that, by extension, you have a role to play.

Nothing happens by chance, including the encounters you make and the difficulties you go through, which will inevitably continue to mark your path as an entrepreneur or in your everyday life. You must take them as messages that the universe sends you, and it is up to you to interpret them positively or negatively.

It is absurd to see the glass half empty. Opportunities are everywhere, and you must change your way of seeing things to make them visible. The pandemic has been brutal on me, as it certainly has on you, but it has been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed me to adapt, pivot, and make my business more exciting and rewarding. Most of all, it has helped me to see hidden opportunities better and become resilient.

Being positive as well as being happy is a choice. And happiness depends on the quality of your thoughts. Therefore, it is essential to train your mind to see the positive side of everything. One way to do this is to thank the universe for the good things you have experienced during the day. Make a list. Five and then ten things. And you will soon realize that your days are not so bad or much better than you thought. Another way is to meditate. You can’t imagine the power of meditation. It teaches you to step back and look at bad thoughts like clouds in the sky and watch them pass. It also teaches you to connect with your source, nature, and become one with it.

2. That you have to love yourself. 

“He who wants to go far, spares his mount” Jean Racine, Les Plaideurs.

Loving yourself will make you take care of yourself and have a healthy lifestyle. It will help you go further and persevere in your business. How can you do this?

By eating better and less, and especially by reconnecting with nature. If possible, walk barefoot on the ground, grass, and sand. Soak your hands and feet in the soil. Try it; you’ll see. If you can, get enough, or lie down on the ground with nothing separating you from it. Contact with the soil is the best therapy, along with meditation and better food hygiene.

3. That life is an infinite game. 

And so is your business. If you have decided to start your own business and are not enjoying it, you are on the wrong track and need to heal yourself. Entrepreneurship must be fun. Seeing life (and your business) as a game allows you to see things differently and your problems, including those of your startup, as challenges to be met and not as calamities. If everyone saw life as a game, there would be fewer depressed people.

4. That you are in transition

Including your problems, and you should not fear the future. Everything passes, including the difficult moments. And they will pass all the more quickly if you adopt a mindset like the one described above because you will have been able to put them in perspective and play with them.

Ending thoughts

With a mindset like this, you’ll become more resilient because you’ll be able to find the energy you need to get through tough times. Giving thanks to the Universe every day for the life it has given you will cause it to shower you with more of its blessings.

You don’t need a coach. The recipe is within everyone’s reach. It’s just a matter of common sense. All you have to do is change your mindset, get up early, eat healthily and exercise while enjoying the now.

In addition to writing on Medium and other media, I specifically help businesses and NGOs become more resilient and have more impact on society. Please feel free to send me your comments. That’s why I write. For there to be an exchange, follow me. It’s easy; click the “follow” button under my picture.