TRENTON-As I sit back and reflect on this past Thanksgiving Day I look at entrepreneurship and I see how this day of giving and expressing gratitude somehow has connections with entrepreneurism.
Indeed, any entreprenuer that's worth his or her salt, understands that in order to stay in business, get into business, or to do well in business, requires a certain degree of gratitude and thankfulness toward not only your customers, but your suppliers, your sponsors, your employees, your friends, etcetera, etcetera, etc.
When I reflect on the gratitude one has for these various stakeholders involved in the entrepreneurial life cycle, it seems one can better cope with the various stressors of being an entrepreneur. Stressors such as wearing many different hats at the same time, i.e. finding a profitable location for your business, marketing and selling your products and services, being your organization's accountant, etc.
Now I am not naive enough to think that showing or expressing gratitude somehow erases an entrepreneur's life challenges, but I do firmly believe that expressing gratitude can help one cope with some of the stressors of entrepreneurship. There is even research to back to this up. For more info on this, see Elizabeth Heubeck's WebMD article by clicking
here.
So I leave you, dear reader, with a few jewels of wisdom that I think may help you as you pursue your entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations.
Being in business is better than not being in business, so be thankful, point blank period.
When businesses come and go all the time, it is a beautiful thing to have your shop doors still open.
Serving others is an honor in any capacity, so be thankful.
Indeed, as the bible says, whoever will be the greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 20:26). Bottom line: even if it does not feel that way sometimes, serving others is both an honor and privilege.
Providing opportunities for others is a blessing, so be thankful.
Being an entrepreneur creates opportunities for others i.e. jobs, a source of identity, a place to go to, etc. Entrepreneurs can put meat on the table for others, metaphorically or literally speaking, either way these individuals add value to our society with their contributions.
Lo and behold, as you can see above, I think when you have a spirit of gratitude for what you do, it seems that one can better cope with the 'slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune' as Hamlet talked about.
So dear reader, in the spirit of thanksgiving, I encourage you and leave with you with this message, like I encourage myself, to sit back and revel in the beauty of now (this moment right now) and be grateful for it, even with its challenges, stressors, and setbacks. Indeed, it is better to sing in the rain than curse the darkness (and trust me I am learning this as I go along as well).
Thank you for reading and listening dear readers...
