I love the lifestyle that comes from running an online
business. I get to work from home each day, set my own
hours, choose my own projects, and enjoy abundant income.
It's hard for me to imagine how I'd feed myself without
the Internet. When I think about income generation, I
immediately think of the web.
I was talking to a successful entrepreneur recently who
pointed out that building an online business is an exercise
in personal development. He's absolutely right. I've
probably learned more valuable life lessons from my
entrepreneurial pursuits than from any other areas of my
life. Running a business tests you in so many ways -- your
self-discipline, your intelligence, your communication
skills, your focus, etc. If you're lacking in any of these
areas, your business results will reflect it.
The real world of business can be unforgiving. Success is
rewarded. Mistakes are punished. The benefit is that it
keeps you honest. You can't settle for weakness, laziness,
and bad ideas, or your business will fail. There's a huge
chasm between an idea that sounds good and an idea that
actually gets implemented and succeeds under real-world
conditions. Anyone can come up with good ideas, but most
people can't successfully implement them.
Some people can't handle the pressure of running their own
business. They worry about the risk of failure. They're look
ing at it from the wrong angle though. That risk is
precisely the point. Risk is what helps you grow. It makes
you stronger. An entrepreneur who fears risk is like a
bodybuilder who's afraid of barbells.
There have been times when I had to deal with tough
problems, like having bills due but no money to pay them.
These problems made me dig deep inside myself. My business
compelled me to grow into the kind of person who could
handle these sorts of things. I learned to trust myself to
work hard, to stay focused under pressure, and to even
enjoy the process.
We all have different levels of risk tolerance. You don't
need to stress yourself out to grow. You just need to
challenge yourself in a way that stimulates you. Lift
weights that are heavy and which tax your muscles... but
which you can still successfully lift. Afterwards you may
feel spent, but you'll also grow from the experience. If
you only do what comes easy for you, you'll suffer from
atrophy, and life will become rather boring and pointless.
