Upon checking my voicemail I found the most delightful message… “Josh, I had to call, this is your sister. Your youngest nephew came to me earlier this morning and announced that he’d made some bookmarks and he intended to go out in the neighborhood and sell them. When he told me that I knew that was a story I had to share with you. I guess he has a bit of his Uncle Josh in him eh?”
Aside from the fact that I absolutely ADORE my nephews and nieces, I took particular pride in hearing this news. Besides the obvious pride I had for my nephew being bright enough to take the initiative to come up with this idea on his own — I was excited for him because I knew that he’d tapped into something that many, many adults tend to lose sight of over time.
Sadly, as they get older, many people begin to focus on why things won’t work, as opposed to cutting through the reasons why they won’t and simply jumping on the horse and giving themselves a fair shot at the success they deserve… the sense of achievement that is theirs for the taking.
We are all born fearless when it comes to pursuing our dreams
Hearing the story of my nephew reminded me that we’re all born with a sense of fearlessness when it comes to pursuing our dreams. I was excited because I knew that his willingness to get out there and do what he wanted to would result in an achievement that will yield results for years to come.
Today it’s homemade bookmarks — and who knows, tomorrow it may be a business that he starts that ends up going public. Who is to say for sure, but at just 5 years old one thing is for sure… my nephew is getting a good start.
My hope is that you’ll take a moment to reconsider the things that you’ve put on hold. Ideas that you believed you would like to have pursued, but for whatever reason did not. Do they still hold that appeal for you? Right now write those things down. Include a few action steps you can take as quickly as possible to get yourself moving in the right direction. Action in the direction of your desires leads to success, and even the smallest of achievements begins a snowball effect. Keep in mind the saying, success begets success.
Succeeeding as an entrepreneur requires action
Another lesson I’d like you to take from the story of my young nephew is that he didn’t overly plan, another thing that we adults sometimes do too much of — to the point that we end up planning ourselves out of ever taking the action needed to get started. Nope, my little nephew had his idea, he made his bookmarks, and before anyone could tell him any different he headed out the door and got started. By the way, I’m happy to report that at a nickel a bookmark he did pretty well.
Key Takeaways
– We are all born fearless when it comes to pursuing our dreams.
– Succeeding as an entrepreneur requires action.
– Adults tend to focus on why things won’t work, as opposed to simply giving themselves a fair shot at success.
– Even the smallest of achievements begins a snowball effect towards success.
It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds
* Josh Hinds is the author of Why Perfect Timing is a Myth: Tips for Staying Inspired and Motivated Day in and Day out! and It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!