Inspiration – Taking Some Risk

Inspiration – Taking Some Risk

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd – June 2009

Ask anyone about how they would prefer their lives to be and chances are that they will tell you that they would like to go through life being healthy, wealthy and happy.

Well, folks – here is a splash of reality – if you sit quietly in a little corner, minding your own business and not doing anything – nothing will happen.  You will not grow as an individual and you will not grow your business (presuming of course that you even have one).  In fact, the bottom line is that if you don’t get out there and do something, nothing will happen.

One of the identifiable attributes of an entrepreneur is that they are willing to take risks.  Now contrary to popular belief, that does not necessarily mean that they would stand in front of an oncoming train.  It does not mean that they are necessarily reckless or that they would put the lives of their families and indeed, their own lives at risk.  What it does mean though is that they will usually take calculated risks.

Although at first glance, it often seems that they are completely out of control, the fact of the matter is that usually, they are exactly in control.

You see, most entrepreneurs are very aware of the fact that life is not simple, that looking through a pair of rose coloured glasses is not going to give them the reality of what life is all about.  They know that life and indeed business can be really, really hard – so hard in fact that it hurts.

True entrepreneurs, who know all of these things also know that in order for them to succeed, they will have to be willing to accept the pain that will come from stepping out of their comfort zone.  They know the secret and I am going to share that particular secret with you.

You see by being willing to endure a little bit of toughness and discomfort in the short term, they will usually make their lives that much easier in the long term.

Have a look around you – really look.  All the people who are crying and moaning and groaning about how tough it is out there are usually the ones who wallow in their tough lives.  They are scared of moving forward and doing things a little bit differently, they are scared to go backwards because, well it was tough there too and they are scared to stay exactly where they are because it’s so tough there.  So all they can do is moan and whine about how tough it is and how unfair life is – is it any wonder?

On the other hand, show me a successful person and you will see someone who has endured the pain, the hurt and the often sleepless nights.  They did something though, they moved forward.  They took the calculated risks, they sucked up the tough times and they came out the other end, not only successful but better individuals for it.

It didn’t matter how people laughed at them, or how they were criticized by friends and family, they had a dream and they were committed to their dream and they stuck with it.

It always boils down to attitude in the end – if your attitude and your mindset is right, you will ‘swim’, but if your attitude stinks – you sink!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za