This road isn’t going to be easy. You already know that. Yet, I come across so many young entrepreneurs that approach me with grand ideas and incredible passion but unless you’re willing and able to embrace the struggle you’re about to encounter, it’s going to be ten times harder. Why? Because if you’re fighting back the struggle and angry at it, frustrated and so forth, you’re not winning, but rather losing.
My girlfriend Nicole often says to me “How do you do this? How do you come out on top of every huge let down?” I answer, “I embrace the struggle”. Channel the hardship and the exhaustion of doing something that not many people have the wherewithal to even attempt. Be proud of yourself for working hard on something that you believe in.
Passion will get you ½ way there. Embracing the struggle will get you past the second ½.
I recently had a meeting with one of the most influential personalities and professionals on the Internet. It went incredibly well. We did dinner in New York City and I probably didn’t feel my face for a week before and after this occurred. I went back to NYC and had additional meetings and even more trepidation and shock as what was occurring was surreal. What I thought was going to go down ended up taking a curve, just as life often does. It’s not going to be a straight-line guys!
Bottom line. The project we were going to jump in together and get flying was put on hold. It had nothing to do with me, or the project itself, but more so timing and so forth. Was I bummed? You bet. Was I destroyed? Hell no. Friends, family, my girlfriend all braced for a huge meltdown and expected it. Did I? Of course not. This is the struggle guys. This is the time in your life when there’s going to be euphoric highs and heart crushing lows. What you think is what you live and well, I chose to use this experience as a tool, like a sword. After a few of these experiences, you’ll be wielding a battle-axe. (Mental one of course).
So, when you’re up, or down, it really doesn’t matter. I hope you embrace the struggle from every angle and do it every day. Like I said before. Nothing is given to you. You have to take it, own it, and embrace it.
Rob Ianelli is a 23 year old entrepreneur residing on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, MA with his girlfriend Nicole. He is a native of NY and 2007 graduate of American University in Washington DC with a BA in International Relations. His company Hip Visions LLC is behind (2) companies that are an extension of his life, experiences and passion. He likes draft beer, sand on his feet, yellow labs and being surrounded by true friends and great people and a hell of a lot more stuff.
Related Post: Why Rational People Won’t Succeed
