In ancient China, the Taoists taught that a constant inner smile, a smile to oneself, insured health, happiness and longevity. Why? Smiling to yourself is like basking in love: you become your own best friend. Living with an inner smile is to live in harmony with yourself.
– Mantak Chia
Art – Rafal Olbinski
Charles Dickens was right. We are crushed by our great expectations. Eventually, we are left with the bleak light as reflected in the shards of our broken dreams.
What about success? If expectations match our dreams, we retain a bit of glamour and joy. In our working lives and business, we pair customers’ expectations with our product. We deliver real value.
Success is like dismantling a rainbow, analyzing it piece by piece, color by color, and still believing in it and still seeing what’s behind it. Delivering real value is like delivering a rainbow, in one shape or another.
What about the money? The face value of success is primarily money, of course, and hence the conundrum. Lately, I have met people with their dreams all shattered and broken—people who have failed manifold. Still, they are happy with many things and with the knowledge. After all, time and feelings pass like quiet dreams—like the ones who didn’t dare shout their urgency to come into being. Failure is not a tragedy. Learning and preserving faith in you and your dreams are the other facets of success.
Perseverance. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. It is not only about going on, fighting on, and repairing what went wrong, but doing it in precious ways—in gold, platinum, and with love. Life is about repairing. Building and repairing mistakes Do happen and menace our fragile construction. It takes patience and strength to repair unaltered happiness with gold.
Positivism and dedication. Give your best, as people deserve the best that can be done for them. Play the most beautiful and colorful tune ever. Nonetheless, the song can charm, unite, or divide. Nothing to be done, but repair and redo the song in blue, green, and red precious words, ready to take over worlds and hearts. As well.
“Many, many years ago in a sad, faraway land, there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone. At sunset, on top of that mountain, a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal. But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison…”
From “Pan’s Labyrinth” (El Laberinto del Fauno), written and directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Illus. by Rafal Olbinski.
What is entrepreneurship?
An idea, packaged into an alluring story, heralding a product designed as the solution to a problem.
How do you start?
Suppose you have a passion to find a pattern for your product and your business model. Decipher your passions and find your skills. Build on your product and create the words for an enchanting package. Start your enterprise as if you were starting a new love story. This would be your other love and type of love because you put more than just time into your idea.
Brain fueling for your idea is always hard. All the more reason you should make use of your best. Your skills. Your skills will always help you in the direst of times. One should never stop looking for new ones as time is limited. In everything, your skills will make do.
You are likely to fail with your idea. Predictions break apart when you transfer them from paper to practice. Nothing seems to be the same. On this rugged path, you wish you had struck gold. Literally. You do business with people that assess you, judge you, jeer you, appreciate you…Everybody wants nothing but the best. And they often offer nothing in return.
No matter what you sell or do, do it right and well. Even if you don’t sell gold, leave an impression and a mark. Get the job done. If possible, leave a trail of delight that later will lead them back to you. And whatever you do, ask a simple question: Can I get away with it? Can I get away with my story/presentation/performance? We are all non/artists until we promise ourselves to put our passions into practice and become entrepreneurs.
“Art is what you can get away with.”
– Andy Warhol
Art by Rafal Olbinski.
Nowhither = to or toward no place.
“Some of us look for the Way in opium and some in God, some of us in whiskey and some in love. It is all the same Way and it leads nowhither.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, The Painted Veil
Art by Rafal Olbinski.
I have failed in everything: biking, I have fallen manifold; swimming, as I cannot yet, after many attempts; roller skating, I broke an arm, moreover my knees and ankles aren’t well and happy either; also at boxing I hurt my knuckles and wrist, even if only my punching bag was involved.
I have failed in communicating with some tremendously amazing people.
I have failed in my first business and in my present business as I haven’t fulfilled all my predictions.
I haven’t failed in one thing: in doing what I love and “cropping” my own type of life everyday. And in eating glass…
“Starting a company is like staring into the abyss and eating glass.”
–Elon Musk (allegedly quoting a friend).
Art by Rafal Olbinski.
You’re my flame…
in the pitch-dark monster lair
and beacon in eery glares of ugly nights.
You are never away…
You are always in the array
of blooming next day.
Sometimes I do prey
other flames gleaming
But I am just dreaming
at the same organ of fire…
…”The heart is an organ of fire.” – Michael Ondaatje, The English patient.
Art by the amazing Rafal Olbinski.
Umberto Eco – January 5, 1932 – February 19, 2016.
”To survive, you must tell stories.”
”Captain Cook discovered Australia looking for the Terra Incognita. Christopher Columbus thought he was finding India but discovered America. History is full of events that happened because of an imaginary tale.”
”Creativity can only be anarchic, capitalist, Darwinian.”
”Absence is to love as wind is to fire: it extinguishes the little flame, it fans the big.”
Art by Rafal Olbinski.
