If you ask a very successful person why they are so successful, the most probable answer would be, โIt was all because of my ambitionโ.ย
Ambition, just like confidence or optimism can hardly ever be taught or passed around. โYou either have it or you donโtโ, said Tyler, The Creator. And at the very beginning, before youโve even made a single penny, you are automatically being set apart from the ones who lack that โGod-givenโ trait.ย
In other words, thatโs the first step to success. Big ambitions powered by hard work and talent are rare. Extremely rare. And by definition, with biological evolution, and a pinch of common sense, everything that in its nature is rare, is bound to be, well, โlonelyโ.ย ย
But whoโs to say thatโs a bad thing with no ha[[y ending? Itโs, not in the slightest.ย
Letโs just take a look at kids, or middle schoolers, to be exact, as you can almost always tell apart a special kid from a not-so-special one. Smart kids, whether they love engaging with school work and high grades or not, are by definition, lonelier.ย
They have hobbies, studies, and dreams that donโt necessarily correspond with their peersโ activities, which sadly almost always results in them slowly turning away from the more social aspects of growing up. To put it quite simply, they find a whole lot more value in whatever they are doing alone, marking groups, gatherings, and even friends, as โunnecessaryโ.ย
But weโre not here to talk about middle schoolers, weโre here to talk about what happens when the abovementioned kids grow up. Or more specifically, when they finally decide to put all that ambition and talent into practice.ย But before we get into the nitty-gritty of it here are some optimistic words of wisdom, for a lack of a better term.ย
Just because some find value in what they do more than who theyโre with, doesnโt mean value itself canโt be gained with people.ย
The biggest CEOs, artists, and creators of the world have found both inspiration in motivation in none other than the people whoโve built them: family and friends.ย Perhaps, before we choose isolation, we should ask ourselves this one question:
Who will we run to the second we get that first taste of entrepreneurship success?ย
Exactly…
โChoosingโ Isolation Over Loved Ones
Being an entrepreneur is not something that just anyone can do. Itโs an obscure task, a class act if you will, that requires the utmost attention to detail. Something many people fail to do at the very, very least.ย
To be fully dedicated to your craft by planning to start your business and have it be successful, you have to understand that task sadly requires a lot, and we mean a lot of isolation. For a plethora of reasons, too.
- Getting feedback from your loved ones is great and in many cases necessary. But just like with many things in life, this, too, has a flip side. Being an entrepreneur requires your craft and revolutionary ideas to be the centerpiece of the house youโre trying to build.ย
- Outsidersโ perspectives can not only harm the creative process but can also make you unreasonably question your judgment. Respect feedback, but keep your head focused. This, as you can see, can lead to innocent but somewhat necessary self-isolation.
โPeer pressureโ is something that doesnโt just disappear after high school. โYouโre always working Dennis, common, loosen up a little bit and leave your momโs basement LOL.โ Even when itโs said jokingly, itโs no joke. Not a funny one, thatโs for sure.ย
Itโs important to have some downtime to clear your head and โtouch grassโ now and then. But listening to, yet again, outsiders on how you should operate your inner wishes and dreams is foolish, to say the very least.
And so, trying to avoid failure by only looking straight ahead will lead you down a successful road, that in turn, wonโt have as many travelers as youโd wish, hence why we call it a lonely journey. Mostly because itโs not taken, nor understood by many.ย
Nonetheless, how far is too far? Let us not detach ourselves from the people who want whatโs best for us, no matter how golden that destination weโre chasing may be.ย
โPeople change and friends leave. Life doesnโt stop for anybodyโย
In addition to being one of the best yet most simplistic quotes out there, not many people will sit down and digest the severity of the above-mentioned sentence.ย To clarify, when you have goals that โshoot for the starsโ, many of the folks around you have no gear to take that space trip with you, meaning youโll have to do it all alone.ย
Due to the weight of your ambitions, as well as the work required to succeed, you are most likely bound to โoutgrowโ some of your friends and environment. Just as much as they are bound to outgrow you in a different direction.ย Youโll always have care and love for them, but the connection that held that love in one place will since be broken, making you want to, well, move on.
In the middle of all of your planning, working, and space-traveling, just like the back pieces of a launched rocket, friends will โfall offโ and drift away. Relatability will vanish, just like space debris, and ground control will be no more.ย
But not to worry, being successful and lonely has its perks too. Youโll be up there, watching the stars first row, non-maliciously looking at the crowds from the skies above.ย
Just for a little while, youโll be coming home to an empty loft, thinking whether or not the high was worth it. But thatโs where most folks make the mistake of going back. We often donโt go to where itโs best for us but run straight towards whatโs familiar. And eventually, thatโs what will kill us, not the closeness to the Sun.ย
Balancing It Out
A clever businesswoman or man will โsuck it upโ and take the bull by the horns by accepting the loneliness all the success has created for them. But a wise businesswoman or man will adjust the world to their personal change, not change for the world.ย
You are bound to meet and relate to your new peers. Entrepreneurship sure is rare, but not non-existent. There are so many Major Toms out there, whoโve taken the same steps, lonely roads, and painful character growths just like you. So better rearrange that space mission from seeking treasure to scouting for other forms of intelligent life.ย
Just because the journey was lonely, doesnโt mean the destination has to be as well.
Additionally, the nature of your job will most likely keep you socially busy, with all the meetings, conferences, and other rearrangements youโll be obliged to be a part of.ย Your travels will grow your business but will also give your character a chance to meet new people and explore worlds and cultures youโve never been in touch with before. And how on Earth could that ever be lonely?ย
You need friends that will understand your new life, and relate to your everyday problems. This doesnโt mean you have to wave every past friendship goodbye, just that you need to wave some new faces hello too.ย
Show Them You Care
On the more poetic side of the entrepreneur experience, this lonely life is easy to get used to sometimes. Depending on your industry, the sheer power of your work will most likely keep you very busy and quite tired when the dust has settled.ย
In many cases, some peace and quiet are just what you need. After a lifetimeโs worth of ambition, work, and hunger for something great, maybe all that loneliness will simply come down to a willful choice to be alone. ย Thatโs very different from the abovementioned negative side of being a lone wolf.ย
When youโre successful, talented, knowledgeable, and highly passionate about what you do, you naturally attract like-minded people…Without even noticing, without even lifting a finger sometimes.ย ย
No matter the choice, one thing is certain: nothing is certain, and nothing is forever. Your loneliness of today can very well be your success of tomorrow. All you sometimes have to do is slow down, take a deep breath, and look around. Look at all the folks youโve attracted due to that shining strive and work.ย
Hey there, โlonelyโ entrepreneur. You never really are so lonely, are you now? Well, youโre surrounded by everyone and everything youโve worked so hard to build. And going back to that question from the beginning, creating a full circle, who did you run to the moment you succeeded? Say hi and show some love to them every now and then, will you?
