Entrepreneurial success does not always come readily knocking at the door. Everyone would be an entrepreneur if that were the case, and the survival rate of enterprises would not be so low as the dismal single-digit percentages that we currently observe in the market. The road to accomplishment is as winding as the roller coasters in an amusement park, and if one cannot keep a level head during the vertigo-inducing highs and lows of the journey, one is bound to vomit. Metaphorically speaking of course!
And just like the space missions that are being planned to rendezvous at the moon, to refuel and recharge before blasting off into deeper space, the journey of entrepreneurship also needs a form of rest, a way to rejuvenate and to reassess one’s goals and plans of action. Therefore check out these 5 wise quotes from industry veterans that will refuel your entrepreneurial spirit and guide you through the path with a wholly new perspective and zeal.
1. An entrepreneur doesn’t live an ordinary life. Entrepreneurship is an art that is painted not just by the colours of passion but also of innovations and ideas in shades of extraordinary abstract styles. Imagining a life of success is easy – But the commitment to turn the imagination to reality is game entrepreneurs are ready to play. Being an entrepreneur is a life chosen to live working with doubts, bumps and risks all in the flow with success being the ultimate outcome of the endless efforts. It’s an abnormal life, with high failure rates, but also extraordinary rewards. It takes a special type of character to travel all the way, so only the bold few take up the challenge.
2. Once you step into entrepreneurship – it becomes an obsession to thrive for more until your innovation stands out. Yet the path to success is laden with failures as well. Failure is that condiment that gives success its flavour. Ironically without tasting failure, success just becomes tasteless. As Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg himself said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” So the secret is to keep on going because success might just be one step away from where you give up.
3. As the saying goes, ‘The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease.’ One should never be scared to do what they want to do. Fear shouldn’t be a factor that holds one against achieving greatness. As Dr.David M. Burns said, ‘Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human, can paradoxically, make you a far happier and productive person.’ Isn’t being able to establish success at the end of the journey is why you started at the beginning? Then if the effort to begin could be done, why not keep trusting and moving ahead with confidence that you can do it? Just like Nike’s slogan: Just Do It. Everything else will follow.
4. Humans are curious beings and with this curiosity comes the awareness of things. Especially young people in the growing context of entrepreneurship, this quote can be treated as a lamp post along the journey. Mark Zuckerberg does not only inspire but also gives a vital message through this quote stating that just starting a business is not enough. One should be able to understand and anticipate eventualities that might pop up; things that you do not expect. Knowing what you don’t know is a higher level of knowledge. It makes one humble and better prepared for the hiccups along the way.
5. ‘When you cease to dream, you cease to live’, the quote by Malcolm Forbes couldn’t be more relatable to the life of an entrepreneur. When you stop dreaming, you cease to be an entrepreneur. Take the example of Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba. He failed on two of his initial ventures, but that didn’t stop him in any way from dreaming big. So as an entrepreneur, it isn’t always enough just to dream. One has to go ahead and initiate the steps with guts and boldness.
The journey of entrepreneurship begins with a dream. A dream on the clouds of innovation. Yet for the dream to become a reality it’s important to act and take the step to achieve that dream by simply starting. As another great mind, Goethe said, “Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
