Season 7 – epiBLOG 4:
As a nation, America acknowledged Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday yesterday.
In celebration of what would’ve been King’s 90th birthday on January 15th had he still been alive and as an acknowledgement of his “I Have a Dream” speech, I’m choosing to discuss dreams today.
King was one of the most powerful civil rights activists of the 20th century. Some would argue the most powerful. He was popular for his nonviolent and civil disobedience approach to advancing the lives of everyone.
Just as civil rights and equality for all have to be fought for, so too does your business.
Today’s topic is to fight for your business as if your life depended on it.
I know. The topic is pretty strong. And my stand on the subject matter is extreme and unapologetic. Seriously though… why would you pursue a business that you halfheartedly care about? If you treat your business as if your life is on the line, you would do whatever it takes — legally and ethically — to be successful.
People put half of their heart into activities and opportunities that they don’t believe they can see through. Sometimes they set goals that they know they will never accomplish because they already have their minds made up that they won’t achieve what they want from the very beginning.
What if after being met with constant opposition King said, “It would be nice for Blacks to be treated as equals to Whites, but we can live with being second class citizens if it’s easier to keep everything that way.” Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?
So, why do we get a few, or even hundreds, of rejections from contract bids, publishers, investors, banks, producers, or potential clients and start to question whether or not we are supposed to pursue our dreams?
Unfortunately and fortunately, rejections and opposition are part of the process of dreaming, goal-setting, planning, and pursuing.
I say “unfortunately” because it does feel annoying not to get what you want when you want it. I get it. I’ve gotten so angry and discouraged at times that I’ve cried, felt resentful of the process, resentful of people, and so on. You’re human. Be human. Just regroup and refocus.
I also say “fortunately” when it comes to facing opposition in the dreaming process because of what is learned from each rejection. If you pay attention to the nugget of wisdom that’s hiding in your moment of defeat, you will find a gem that you can use to propel your business to a level that you would’ve never imagined. Wisdom that could’ve only been obtained through experience and not some textbook written by someone who’s never accomplished a thing in their life.
I’m sure King was “human” at times, but he kept fighting for equal rights because he believed in what he was doing. He fought as if his life depended on it — because it absolutely did.
Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price within this fight for justice when his life was taken.
I’m not saying you have to die for your business. What I am saying is that you have to have a dream so big for your business that nothing can stop you from pursuing it.
Quitting is easy. It’s what most people do because it feels better to be safe and mediocre as opposed to fighting and failing over and over again.
Is mediocrity what you started your business for? Is mediocrity why you feel you were put on this earth?
I’m currently living my dream through a continuous effort of pursuing goals that are important to me. It’s not something that’s happening in the future. It’s right now.
I hope that you will continue on your journey as you continue to have and hold onto your dream.
Today’s LESSON is to dream as if no one is watching.
FUN ASSIGNMENT: What are some business activities that you’ve been putting off? Write them down and write down the reasons you have chosen to not follow through on these activities. In this newfound wisdom about yourself you should be able to find areas in your life that aren’t working as effectively as they could be and to make different choices so they can work in your favor.
Nitara Osbourne owns The Infinite Writer Agency, LLC, which provides content to producers, publishers, entrepreneurs, and sales people seeking help with developing their life stories into nonfiction books and movie scripts. Ghostwriting and editing services are provided for clients as well. If you’re an accomplished sales or business professional, and are looking to tell your story, contact Nitara Osbourne. InfiniteWriterAgency@gmail.com.
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