First Step
When I decided to incorporate Word Picture Media, I encountered quite a few naysayers. Some of the comments I heard were:
“Are you crazy?”
“Why would you start a business in this economy?
“Are you aware of who has just been elected?”
“It’s too risky.”
“What do you know about…”
It didn’t take me very long to question my direction when a simple quote came to mind from a book I read many years ago. “The United States is the land of opportunity.”
Next, I recalled a comment from the owner a billion-dollar entertainment company. “I just give people the opportunity. That’s all.” Opportunity. Not a guarantee of success. Hard work is not a guarantee of success. I’m sure know someone who worked hard, achieved success, and then lost it due to company closure, layoff, or other reasons. For over 30 years, my Grandfather worked for a retail chain named Gambles. He started out as a salesman and through hard work became District Manager. Despite the success and growth of the company, the doors eventually closed.
For many years, I wanted to start my own business, but as the cliche goes, “Life got in the way of…” until I decided to make the time, set aside the money, and here we are! It’s been a learning experience. And, yes, along the way, some of the comments I heard were:
“It won’t succeed.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Why would you start a business in this economy?
“Are you aware of who has just been elected?”
“It’s too risky.”
Sound familiar?
Let’s look at the first comment, “It won’t succeed.” Ok, maybe not. If I fail, so what? It just means that I learned a lot along the way and managed to do more than most. I don’t believe that most people remember the fails, the negatives.
While Michael Jordan made 28 game winning shots, according to him, he missed 26.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots went 16-0 in the 2007 season and lost the Super Bowl. They didn’t even make the playoffs the next year.
Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships. He played in 90. He missed the cut in 15 of them.
Steve Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985. Twelve years later, he returned as CEO
Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first job as a news anchor. Seven years later, she moved to Chicago and was hired to host a morning talk show.
The list goes on.
A famous quote: “It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down. All that matters is that you get up one more time than you’re knocked down.”
The third and fourth quotes need a moment of attention. There are many people that hold to a mindset like this. I hold to a different mindset. Years ago, I heard a talk show host say, “My success is not determined by who wins elections.” For the most part, I will agree with him. Success is a byproduct of hard work, and as earlier discussed, is not guaranteed. However, since the populace at large has less and less of a problem turning over more and more control of their lives to those is Washington, there is an excessive degree of interference in determining success. I’ll stop there, because I don’t want to turn this into a political discussion.
So, what is the purpose of this blog? First off, to share stories, and I am collecting more as we converse. Second, to provide a different way of looking at things. Last, to give you some insight and some encouragement as you ponder whether or not, or even how, to pursue your dreams.
Consider this:
42% of Americans seriously consider starting a business… Less than 10% of those actually do.
81% of people say they want to write a book… Only 3% actually do.
How many people do you know that want a different job or career, but don’t pursue going somewhere else, despite statistics saying that between half and two-thirds of employees are actively looking. Years ago, I knew a man who worked a maintenance position in a mill. He possessed the skills and abilities required for his supervising manager's role, but he did not pursue the position. Sadly, he retired due to health issues and died a few years later.
Think for a moment about the thing or things that you want to do, be it a project, an aspiration, or a dream. It might be writing a book, starting a podcast or YouTube channel, starting a blog, or starting a business. What’s preventing you from attempting it? What’s holding you back? It might seem like those two questions are the same, if you think about it, they’re not. Preventing is an active force, while more often than not, holding you back is a passive force. We’ll talk about that more another time.
I’m just an ordinary person. I’m not a rah-rah guru or a motivational speaker. I am nothing more than a person whose dream is big enough to pursue. Confucious said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. All I have done is take a step… maybe two.
What’s your first step?
We’ll talk again. Don’t die.