Every failure leads to a greater success. 

It is this very statement that I live by. The most successful entrepreneurs accept failure as an integral part of the journey. It is the chance of failure that makes the journey so fulfilling.
Your drive, your passion, and your motivation are not driven by the worry of getting fired or laid off. They are about the purity of creation, the dedication to your vision, and the bumps and bruises you are proud to own when things come together.

The purity of creation is the wholeness you feel when you invest all of yourself into something you truly believe in. You are creating from the deepest part of you. It is the raw, unfiltered, “you” coming out into the world. We are the most pure at our core. Being an entrepreneur allows that purity to be seen by others. It is this beacon of purity that other entrepreneurs are drawn to. They see and feel it radiating from you.
It shines.

The non-trepreneurs can’t see the light you are shining. It is fuzzy to them. It is “weird”, and they don’t get it. They need you here, with them, staying on the beaten path, hoping they’ll have you as a comrade for eternity. They are not bad people. They are simply following others along another path – one that you have grown tired of. And one that ends where it starts, every day. In the same place, at the same time.

The dedication to your vision is the unwavering focus and determination you have when you are materializing your imagination. It is the blank canvas on which you paint your future.

When you speak of your vision to others, you will usually hear one of three types of responses:

1. Stay where it’s safe and comfortable.
2. What?
3. I’m so excited for you!

For fun, list every person you’ve ever shared your ideas with and classify them. Put the numbers 1, 2 or 3 next to their name, indicating the type of response they gave you
Cross out all the ones, and put a question mark next to the twos.

Now look at your twos. Are there people in there you don’t believe will ever become a three?  If so, cross out their name(s).

The people left over are those you want to keep in your circle of influence. These are the ones that support your vision, and get excited to see you excited.
You might even want to add a fourth type: people with whom you want to share your ideas and spend more time.

You will get your share of bumps and bruises along your entrepreneurial journey. It has to be this way. Every bump is a stepping stone. Every bruise, a lesson. Every time you bang into an obstacle, it comes with the reward of a lesson. The journey can take months or years, but the rewards last forever.

There is no growth in a flawless life. 

This guest post was written by Paul Colaianni, mindful advisor at The Overwhelmed Brain