Thursday, September 3, 2009

this path cannot be found on any map

I really like looking at maps. I don’t know why – I just do. Sometimes I will find myself studying the contents of a map without purpose or intent, but just tracing through the multiple ways to reach the same destination or just to examine the physical location of one thing in relation to another. It’s weird – I know – but something about it fascinates me. I can’t explain exactly why I enjoy it, but perhaps it is the fact that it represents the antithesis of how we move through life. It would be great if we all had a map to get us through life – something to tell use exactly how to get from where we are to where we want to be with a key to guide us when we reach something that we are unfamiliar with. But, then again, what fun would that be? How much would we miss out on? The world would be a completely different place without the challenges, struggles, and failures. W. Clement Stone wrote that “like success, failure is many things to many people. With positive mental attitude, failure is a learning experience, a rung on the ladder, a plateau at which to get your thoughts in order and prepare to try again.” The world as we know it today is the legacy left behind from the aggregation of all of the failures in history, and when you think about it, that is pretty cool. This, to me, is the essence of the entrepreneurial spirit and the path that I am becoming ever so familiar with. This path cannot be mapped out, written down, planned out, or even followed. We must all find our own way, but the best part of that is that “you don’t need a map”. I know something is out there, and the only way is to just go for it. I know that failure is a possibility, but it is not an option. Failure is not a conclusion, but an inevitable path to success, and a tool to get closer to my goals.

When you get on this path you get immediate confirmation of what you already knew, and that is that no one can tell you how to accomplish your goals – they can only offer advice and a nod of caution. The rest is up to you. So with that said, here are my only words of advice to those that are thinking about taking the path less traveled:

Approach every personal and professional encounter with integrity and respect; quickly find out who you can trust and who you can’t; and throw your fears of failure in the garbage can with the crinkled up map of your life. When it feels as if you are walking through the darkness backwards and blind you can find solace in knowing that you have just found your way.

–Tadd