The Company You Seek And the one You Need.
Life, they say is a journey.
And in that journey, you meet folks who are passing by, walking along with you, and those whose paths are closely entwined with yours.
As an entrepreneur, your pace is slightly different than that of the world. You are the hobbit with a blood for adventure taking paths not taken, pacing yourself faster - at times chasing, at times being chased, but mostly driven by a self that is bigger than yourself.
When that is the case, you'll soon realise that most folks around you are passing you by. And at times that can be a tad bit confusing, because you are wondering if you are turning into an asshole who cant keep relationships - or somehow broken. Truth is, that we are just different.
What scares you more than anything, is the fact that you might slow down, change your pace, start taking the safe "routes" because someone who is along with you, isnt ready for the ride that your soul dares to take.
As an entrepreneur, I'm told, one will soon outgrow most relationships. The mind is wired to get bored of routines and it finds that in relationships too. Now, the key here is to differentiate what these relationships are. There are the kinds that anchor you down in values - defining who you are. Though at times, it feels like they are holding you back, they aren't. They are just ensuring that while your heart drags you into the wild, the not-taken paths, and craves adventure, you still remain human and civilised in the process. They are the ones who ensure that finally when you do reach where you want to go, you don't end up alone.
Entrepreneurs and artists have a thing about chasing their passions with reckless abandonment and oft times, it doesn't end well. In sight of the pursuit, the loss is rarely counted or recognised until its too late. The start is bright with fanfare, the middle path of fame and recognition is great, but the end is often bleak.
Then there are the relationships who are pleasant company for a season where you find common threads to talk about, find advice and solace in, but the pace soon becomes difficult - they are either onto bigger and different things - they prefer different routes or scenes (can even be simple as mountains or the oceans), or you find yourself dragging your feet to match their pace. If you don't part ways with the second kind amicably, you'll regret that relationship and walk away with disdain. So better in your own terms than in strain.
There are also the times when you simply must part ways. There is so much mediocrity around that holding to high standards somehow seems to become a crime. If you want to stand out, if you want to build something of value, you'd have to take that stance.
Wisdom however, is knowing the difference between those anchoring you down in values, and those just slowing you down. Wisdom is knowing the difference between an anchor and the sails that the ship very much needs and barnacles that just slows it down. That's the difficult part.
PS: And oh, never make the mistake of walking alone. Many a lives and minds have gone awaste there.
Growth & Leadership | Startup & AI Enthusiast
9 年Good one vijay.
Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon @ KIMSHEALTH Hospital Oman | Joint Replacement Specialist
9 年That was one of the best I have heard from you. It hit a note in my heart probably because I am sailing rough seas at the moment, and at such times being wise not rash takes quite a bit of effort. Hat tip to you. :-)