“It is better to have a short life full of what you like doing than a long life spent miserably.”
—Alan Watts
The true essence of entrepreneurship: beyond the four Fs
One of the most challenging obstacles for aspiring entrepreneurs is deciding what they want to pursue for the rest of their lives. Individuals embark on becoming entrepreneurs primarily because of the four Fs: fame, fortune, family and freedom. However, entrepreneurship is more than owning a business or being your own boss. Entrepreneurship is a journey of fulfillment, happiness, a sense of self, an expression of who we are and what we value and solving complex problems with innovative solutions.
This is often overlooked because many individuals who witness an entrepreneur’s success only see the material rewards, such as social status and money. They never truly understand why and how some become successful. The answers, in most cases, are subjective. Entrepreneurship starts with asking yourself one simple yet challenging question.
The power of self-reflection: the key question for aspiring entrepreneurs
Before starting my entrepreneurial career, various people would ask me how successful I wanted to be, how much money I wanted to make and how many houses I wanted to own. The answers to these questions were obvious. However, after a while, I soon began to realize these were the wrong questions to ask. Money is a tool. Cars and a home are necessary, but only material objects. No matter how many material items I own, as a human being, I’m always going to want more.
Materialistic desires are never-ending. That was until I came across a video on YouTube entitled “What If Money Were No Object.” The speaker was Alan Watts, a British philosopher and writer who greatly influenced philosophical thought about the nature of consciousness.
Watts’ rhetorical question, “What would you do if money was no object?”, redirected my perspective. What I would do if money was no longer an issue. Answering that question requires deep reflection on one’s true passion, interest and knowledge. To do something for the rest of your life without the reciprocation of profit — something you genuinely love and would do for eternity without being rewarded materially — is what is truly fulfilling to one’s self. When you provide value to others through your work, you will organically attract money and rewards. Material goals will no longer be a priority.
The question of purist pursuits led me to my entrepreneurial endeavors: literature, art and storytelling. I will write for the rest of my life regardless of its monetary rewards because it is oddly satisfying and one of my God-given talents. Soon after answering this immense question for myself, I saw an immense change in my perspective on life, happiness, authenticity and success.
Living your dreams
Realistically, we need money to survive; however, if you do something your soul desires, you will focus more on your true purpose rather than material accumulation. Once you find your true calling in life, your entrepreneurial quest can begin.
Three components of doing something you genuinely love are interest, knowledge and emotional connection (or intelligence). When you are passionate about something, your interest in the craft or field will always motivate you to grow and learn, broaden your horizons and have fun. Knowledge will help you seek and create new experiences and challenge you to enhance your understanding to deeply connect further with your craft — amplifying your interest, knowledge and creative approach to create more value and innovation in what you do and how you do it.
Lastly, an emotional connection sets the tone for discipline, consistency and purpose. These are all vital to achieve long-term success throughout a journey that takes many turns. They keep you committed to your purpose.
Consistently focusing on a craft, art or skill is the foundation of creating wealth. Teaching a valuable skill or solving complex problems for the benefit of others is your true calling.
Featured image by Andrew Leinster from Pixabay
Edited by James Sutton
