WHO ARE YOU?
" Faith can move mountains, but doubt can create them." and yet again my dad has directed my attention to a profound quote that is both encouraging and challenging at the same time.
From the moment I entered into the world of entrepreneurship and began 'figuring things out' I made it a personal duty of mine to share what I've learned with others. Whether that meant jumping on a quick phone call to offer some advice, delivering. a presentation or simply being an open ear to an aspiring entrepreneur looking to bounce their idea off someone else.
One thing I've noticed throughout the years is that there are typically two types of people: Mountain Movers and Mountain Makers. Those who see challenge as another hurdle to jump over and those who see hurdles as another roadblock of impossibility, a challenge to great to overcome.
Mountain Movers
These are people who in most cases (not all) have made a resolve in their life, in their business and in their heart on a specific course of action and are unwilling to be deterred from it. They have weighed the risk of doing and not doing and found the latter to be more lethal. I'm no superhero, but I do my best to cultivate this state of mind.
In business, I believe that every activity that I intend to do will cost me some money, time or effort. This could mean hours, days, weeks and in some cases years. But on the other hand, the cost of inactivity can cost me a lifetime. My inactivity will shape who I am and who I become and personally I feel that these side effects are far worse than just rolling my sleeves up and getting to work on business or my future.
Do I see mountains?
Absolutely. Every day. Every Idea. But it's what I do when I see them that has equated to my personal success and what I hope to encourage you to do as well. Move them. Try to move them. Get help to move them. Heck! Climb them. Do whatever you have to do to get around it or over it. But don't back down. Practice this mentality and you'll start to find that BIG mountains start to become small hills and eventually bumps in the road.
Mountain Makers.
If you're a mountain maker or a person that typically sees a challenge as something too difficult to attempt or overcome, then rest assure this article was not written to break you down but instead to help build you up. My hope is that you will take on a new perspective about life, challenges, obstacles and see them as something that can be moved.
Taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things can be extremely difficult and straight up scary, but this doesn't mean it can't be done. It simply means that you're going to have to become bigger than the situation at hand.
How do you become bigger?
There are many was to size up a BIG obstacle in the way.
Consider the bigger picture. I built my business on the foundation of impacting people's lives in a positive way. When the occasional down day happens, sales are low or i'm juts not feeling motivated, I consider the lives that I'm able to touch through my business, the communities I'm able to impact and the change I'm able to bring about in the world and suddenly, the balance sheet is put into perspective. Make your goals and aspirations about something bigger.
Don't go at it alone. The saying holds true, there is strength in numbers. You may not be able to take on that BIG BULLY of an obstacle, but what if I help you? What if we help you? What if we all help you? I like to always remind myself that "WE" is stronger than "ME"
Use your size to your advantage. BIG things do what BIG things do. Likewise, small things can do what small things can do. When I started my business I don't have the BIG marketing budgets like my competitors did... But I was small enough to move quickly when the industry trends were changing. Whether this meant changing up our product mix or reinventing our brand, I was able to accomplish this in days whereas the BIG players would take months or years to do the same. When all the big animals are watching the sunrise, the ant can get the best seat by climbing the tree.
So, are you a Mountain Mover or a Mountain Maker? The choice is yours but if you need help, ' 'WE' are right here for you. Love you all, Daniel