“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill
If anyone knew what walking through hell was like it was Winston Churchill. Every day his country, particularly during the blitzkrieg, was on the verge of annihilation. But Churchill never quit, never wavered. He kept walking through hell.
There are a lot of so-called self-help experts out there who will tell you that pursuing your dream will ultimately bring you happiness.
And they’re right.
Except that they leave out one major component of pursuing success as an Entrepreneur – you will be walking through hell most of the time until you realize success.
You will make mistakes that will cost you money you desperately need.
You will often feel like you are completely wasting your time.
You will face doubt each day.
Everyone around you will advise you to quit.
You will face rejection and indifference almost 100% of the time by those who have the power and influence to make your dreams come true.
You will feel frustrated and incompetent during your pursuit of success.
There will be days when everything goes wrong, your back is up against the wall and your dream feels like it’s collapsing under the weight of all of your failures and mistakes.
When pursuing a dream, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and smarter. It’s an evolutionary process in which you grow into the person you need to be in order for success to visit you.
Not everyone is able to persevere and realize their dream.
There is one reason for this.
You must have a big WHY. Your WHY is the reason you are pursuing your dream. Some call it a mission statement but it is much more than that. Your WHY is something that dominates your thinking.
For some it’s a desire to never be poor again. For others it’s about improving the lives of their family.
Your WHY represents the core reason you are pursuing a dream.
Elon Musk’s WHY is to colonize Mars.
Winston Churchill’s WHY was to defeat the Germans and preserve Great Britain.
Mother Teresa’s WHY was to improve the lives of the poor.
Steve Jobs WHY was to bring computers into the home.
Your WHY is like the sun except instead of orbiting planets there are dreams and goals that orbit around your WHY. Your WHY sets everything in motion and, if it’s personal enough and fueled by emotions, it will create the passion that will enable you to walk through hell and come out the other side – where success awaits you.
