A Positive Mindset Is Not Enough for Reaching Your Full Potential
Just as the caterpillar undergoes a metamorphosis to become the beautiful butterfly, the success of any entrepreneurial project depends on the power of transformation as you “grow” the opportunity you see in front of you. And while it’s important to believe in the power of your vision, simply visualizing your goal in a positive way is not enough. The successful entrepreneur knows patience is an essential component of any plan for the future.
Why? Consider the role patience plays in five elements of any entrepreneurial journey.
1. Patience as a Way to Get Along Better with the People Around You
As an entrepreneur, whether acting as a singular entity or within a larger group, you’re going to need to be working with others along the way. Indeed, support and buy-in for your ideas, from clients, from suppliers, from customers to investors, is essential. When you consciously practice patience with others, you foster more positive relationships with everyone. After all, no one ever completed a task with more care or put more of themselves into a project as a result of someone beside them tapping their foot and looking at their watch, muttering, “I need it now!” People will do their best for you and in service to your ideas through a positive, nurturing demeanor. In turn, by practicing patience with others, they will be more patient with you.
2. Patience as a Way to Nurture Your Own Creativity
The road to success is often fraught with difficulty. As any biography of a successful CEO will show you, productive entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. For that reason, it is essential to be kind to yourself, to practice patience with your own inner spirit as you strive for something better. Remember, your Silent Master wants you to forgive your own mistakes, to move beyond self-destructive energy that can paralyze you and bring any project to a dead stop. Instead, recognize replacing old ways of doing things, and outgrown self-concepts takes time and effort. Perfection is not the goal. Progress is. Don’t spend your energy criticizing or arguing with yourself. In contrast, patience allows you to act from a clear, calm center, to take charge.
3. Patience as a Way to Co-Create Every Opportunity with Your Silent Master
In business as well as life, we are all in charge of our own opportunities. Whatever cards are in front of us, it is up to our own inner self to evaluate and assess the best way forward, the path towards turning “lemons into lemonade” and making the most of every moment. Approach what is in front of you with patience, so you may truly make decisions from a place of calm reflection, rather than panic or impulsivity.
4. Patience as a Way to Follow Your Inner Instincts
Just as practicing patience allows you the calm and serenity to take advantage of every opportunity, patience also allows you the quiet space within to follow your inner instincts. As an entrepreneur, it’s essential for you to stay in touch with your inner power, the guide inside you that will help you make decisions both large and small. Patience will assist you in unlocking the inner skills and strengths you may not even yet know you possess! Challenges are a given in any business or entrepreneurial activity. Come at them with every possible advantage. Patient, intentional action is the always best way forward.
5. Patience as a Way to Connect with Your Inner, Courageous Nature
Finally, consider again the caterpillar. What challenges must that little creature endure on its pathway towards becoming! And yet they are relentless in their pursuit to transform into their essential nature. Like the caterpillar, you must practice patience as you work towards your goals, patience not just with the process and events as they unfold, but patience with yourself. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back. Celebrate when you see you have made even a small amount of progress towards your dreams!
Read more articles: My Life Journey and Q&A with Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim
