I am not a huge Beatles fan. I mean, they were okay. But, I think by the end of their reign that some of them got a little bit too big for their britches. Although they had a song with a cool title that I borrowed to write my “last lecture” blog post, I think they totally missed the point of the subject of their own song.
Someone may be out there saying, “This is your final blog post, your ‘coup de grâce,’ and you’re talking about LOVE?! Where does that fit in entrepreneurship?”
Allow me to explain.
First, as an entrepreneur, you must love what you do. Most entrepreneurs I know work more for themselves than for any “job” they ever had. You will be spending a lot of time, effort, and probably money on your idea, so you’d better enjoy it. If you don’t, it will become a burden instead of a blessing.
For my second and third points, we need to turn love into an action word.
Although small (and large) business owner-operators do lots of work solo, they can seldom become truly successful without somehow involving other humans--they are your customers. No other species will do (thus, my second point). Sometimes you need help from a real person. Fruitful business ventures typically solve people problems. In learning to love others well, we learn how to treat them well. We develop good relationships. When we need something, we feel we can ask. Sometimes we don’t even have to do that. When we get to know others, we know what difficulties they face. Finding these solutions leads to win-win situations for both parties.
Lastly, we need to love God.
When we learn of our relationship to our Heavenly Father, we realize that we need Him in every aspect of our lives (I think this is where John Lennon messed up, may he rest in peace). We want Him to be involved. We need Him to be. He wants us to be successful. He cares about what we care about. Through the Spirit, we can receive confirmation regarding our entrepreneurial endeavors. He can help us grow, progress, and learn so much faster than we can on our own. Loving Him encompasses getting to know Him through obedience, scripture study, fasting, and especially prayer. Loving Him involves serving His children. Loving Him means following His Son.
And the really crazy thing about love? It isn’t just a secret weapon for the self-made individual. Practicing love works in every aspect of life. Go ahead and give it a try.
