Falling Hard is a Part of the Entrepreneur Job Description
Life sometimes throws you a couple odd balls so that you can trip, fall, and remember what it’s like to fail. That kick in the ass can hurt pretty bad for a few days, but then you bounce back and begin the healing process.
And when you finish that healing process, you’re that much stronger. Kinda like the immune system when you get a flu shot.
When you put yourself out there, take risks, and try new things, you’re more prone to kicks in the ass than if you just stuck with the status quo. So which is the better path? A tough question. Kinda like asking:
Should I:
1) play basketball everyday to stay in shape, but risk the chance of breaking a leg?
or
2) not play basketball everyday and not stay in shape, but guarantee no broken legs?
Tough question. But I’d go with number 1. Why? Because I like taking risks and trying new things with the possibility of falling hard and failing. I live for that excitement of creating and evangelizing new things. Why am I writing this post about life, taking risks, and getting kicked in the ass? Because I recently took a fall.
I’m not going to write about the details of this fall, but it was regarding a project that I had committed to (see previous post). Passion and excitement were met by challenges and deadlines. This is my forte. However, I have learned (again) that all members of the team must be on the same page in order to succeed. In my situation, this was not the case. I took a fall and I’ve learned from it. After this episode, it’s become clearer to me why contracts exist: to officially bind two parties to a common vision and objective.
It hurts to fall, no doubt about it. It makes a man question his abilities. Even worse, failing entertains the possibility of quitting. But as the saying goes, “Without failure, there is no success.” (or something like that)
Michael Jordan once said:
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
I look forward to taking meaningful risks, creating new things, and falling harder.
Only then will I become stronger than I am now.
» Bonus: Check out other posts in the Think category.
POPULAR
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
November 6th, 2006 at 11:06 am
i agree with your post. but again, this is just the tip of the iceberg for all of us. =/
November 7th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
Failing is very discouraging
Don’t forget to vote today buddy :)
November 12th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
the consequences of breaking a leg vs. causing the possibility of further irreparable damage to your ankles when you’ve already had surgery in the past and now have multiple spur growth locations and torn tendons at age 22, and it hurts every time you try to point your feet down.
i still play. hmmm… maybe not the best decision.