Passion
helps us believe the unbelievable,
Keep
going when others might give up,
Navigate
obstacles, convert unbelievers, and build support.
It
can also cause us to ignore what we don’t want to acknowledge,
Hold
on when we should let go,
Rationalize
difficulties, manipulate circumstances, and push people where they don’t want
to go.
How
do we know whether we’re inspired or irrational?
Is
there a difference?
Hi Karin!
Nice to meet you – I’ve been enjoying your blogs (2 so far – I have to check out the third one still).
Thanks for the comment!!
Ann
Hi Ann
This post caught my I straight away.
I’m with Graig on various points: lunch once in a while with trusted adviser to keep the irrational out of the passion.
Funny thing also Graig, your remark on ‘enjoy the ride’ is exactly what my trusted adviser always says 😉
And that keeps me inspired, passionate inspired!
Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
Drew-
It was great meeting you too. WOW – what a weekend – so many interesting and diverse people in one place! I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged so much in my life!
Ann
Ann,
An interesting problem. I think from a business perspective, you need to have your “bolt hole.” That’s your plan of getting out fast if your passion and optimism was wrong.
But once you have that safety net, you can move forward, assuming the light at the end of the tunnel is the sun, not a train.
It was so great to meet you this weekend! I’m sorry we didn’t have more time to talk. But at least it was a start!
Drew
Craig – very wise advice! I too consider myself an optimist. My mother convinced me at an early age that nothing is impossible – it’s simply a matter of priorities.
It’s always a good idea to have a trusted advisor or two that comes at things from a different angle (and isn’t completely immersed in your kool-aid!).
Thanks for the insight!
Ann
(PS – I was getting tired of green – glad you like the purple!)
Mack – welcome to my world!
Ann:
I think this is one of the greatest internal challenges for any entrepreneur. I’m definitely a “glass is half full” kind of person, but while I think I’m optimistic, I know some people probably think I’m delusional.
I’ve found that it helps to do scrupulous down-side contingency planning at the outset. Follow that up with the occaisional lunch with a trusted advisor who doesn’t have a stake in what you’re doing who’ll shed a different light on things to force you to keep asking the questions that we might otherwise just as soon ignore.
But beyond that, it’s all about enjoying the ride.
[By the way, I’m definitely getting with the new look of your blog. Live the change!].
Craig
Can we be irrationally inspired? 😉