Ryan Gibson

Awakening The Spirit Of The Entrepreneur   

April 17^th 2009

By Ryan Anthony Gibson

A company depends on the spirit of those who build it and rebuild it. In the bottom of the economy, we hear a lot of discussions about how is your business, how is your industry, and for all those who existed in the prime time, it is not as good as it was. Many times in life, people face the same challenges as we are feeling today, and it has been documented. Therefore, this discussion is meant to awaken the spirit of the entrepreneur, and the spirit of all those who wake up and need to go to work. That is why it is only appropriate that the discussion initially focus on overcoming disinterest, discouragement, and dissatisfaction, like the labors of those who required rebuilding Solomon’s Temple as we have to rebuild our global and personal economy today.

The First Challenge: The Issue of Disinterest

Whether you are a major corporation who has decided not to work with small businesses, an employee who has decided that your personal wealth is more important than building a great company, or a person who is simply interested in building a business and not sharing the spoils with their investors or the people who have got them there, you suffer from disinterest. Disinterest of what? Disinterest of the greater picture of what business and an economy is. When a group of people become self-focussed and self-centered, they have become disinterested in the greater good, and the real economy. Recognizing this error often requires the loss of the business, the job, or the money and opportunity, so that what they had been working on with self focus becomes fruitless. For this reason, the self-focussed naturally need to turn to others for help. Like in a down economy, bail-outs, pay-cuts, and emergency activities build up to try and assist these firms and people who focussed once on their business, their house, their kingdom.

This was actually one of the first problems for motivating the people returning to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:2-4) to rebuild the Temple of Solomon to its former greatness, however, instead of focusing on the Temple, they focussed on their own homes and crops, and left the task they returned for. In many cases, we are all guilty of stopping our focus on the big picture and focus on creating our own kingdom. However, there are many examples of us focussing on our own kingdom becoming fruitless in the end, which is often what needs to happen for us to realize our error. In many cases, the business community is a kingdom of which we need to have the faith to work together and build up the economy we once had. To build it in all its capacity, we need one that supports us working together for a fruitful future and not a fruitless one. In the case of rebuilding Solomon’s Temple, the message to overcome distinterest was that “they would be glorified if they will only yield to Him whay they have.” The draught, poor crops, and demise of the livestock was the punishment bestowed on all labors of “your hands”, which are the things created just for you with your own hands. The people did go back to work on the temple, after they had felt the effect of loss. For the most part, they had to consider their ways, and the great loss and dissappointment they realized when they discovered they were all alone when working on their own property and homes, a fruitless end.

Therefore, in order to avoid Disinterest, follow the following advice:

1. Consider your ways: If you are looking for much and it is coming to too little it is because you have not opened your heart up to the entrepreneurial spirit of togetherness. Consider your actions, the people around you, and focus your ways on the greater goal.
2. Gather the wood and climb the Mountain: Gather the tools, the people, and the team so that you can build the business. Start on it immediately, as your business and livelihood is in neglect if you are not working towards it, and do it for a greater purpose than just the self. The spirit of the business is important, as is the spirit of God.The greater purpose is to supply happiness, the spirit of your company in them, and them in your company.
3. I AM with you: The message was part of the messenger Haggai to the people, that they were not alone. Remember that you are not alone. IN business, and in this economy, as long as we work together and are open hearted within the spirit of business and the spirit of entrepreneurship, than we are not alone. The fact is, you can build a good company when you are in good company.

The Second Challenge: The Issue of Discouragement

Have you been told by someone who has been in the industry for a long time that things will never be as good as they use to be? That the business you are in was once great? Possibly this is something that you even tell yourself. Maybe you heard that car sales are down, no one is buying cars, and the economy is going into a slump. The ever so popular, no one is investing like they use to be, there is no money! Or, people just are not buying houses or are not buying within your industry. This is the direct contact between you and your piers that we call discouragement. Discouragement from building your business, working harder, and becomng successful. The people who have lived and experienced a once great economy are no different than the elders or older people who lived to see the once great temple of Solomon, as children before exile. On their return, they said that no building, however beautiful, could compare with the glory of that former temple. This quickly influenced the others, especially the younger generation, whereby in less than one month of rebuilding the work ceased on the temple. To deal with the problem, the people needed to be motivated. Thus, the people were given a moto, in combination with “I AM with you”, the messenger Haggai said to the people “be strong, be strong, be strong, and work” for you are building for the day when God will so fill the house with glory that it will surpass the glory of Solomon’s temple.

Therefore, when dealing with Discouragement, follow this advice:

1. Be Strong: Don’t listen to the news, the people around you discussing the comparison of now to the past, you must live in the now and work! So Be Strong, Be Strong, and Work! This means wake up earlier, motivate those around you, and bring the strongest people to the forefront, especially yourself. This is the immediate solution to discouragement, is to hold your head up and keep working.
2. Surpass Yesterdays Glory: Remember the goal you are working for in the long-term, not the ruined state you may currently be in, in comparison to the sales of the past, business of the past, or competitors. Competitors and or your current business may be the glory of yesterday that you will surpass if you can Be Strong and Work! Success will fill the house of those who believe in their success. Build a house, not just for yourself, but your employees, your family, and your beliefs. Embrace the future spirit of success now in order to keep building… if you can do this, you are already successful. There is no such thing as discouragement if success is in the now and beyond. Discouragement is for those who live in the past, and thus, you need to remove yourself from this by surpassing yesterday’s glory by working on the future today. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how many times you have tried, you can always surpass yesterdays glory. Time and time again. An entire book could be written, from individuals in all stages of life and time, from CEOs, inventors, to auditions on a talent show, you can always surpass the glory of the past if you creat the opportunity to do so by being strong and working! I encourage you to look on the internet for the story of Susan Boyle, a 47 year old, UK lady who came out and auditioned against all odds and skeptism, and became an overnight sensation in less than 3 days! It doesn’t happen by mistake, and it took many years, but after watching her blow away the judges minds and an audience of people, you will understand the meaning of surpassing yesterdays glory! Look Susan Boyle up on www.youtube.com if you need to kick-start the emotions of glory for yourself today.
3. I AM with you: Remind yourself that you are not alone, and the house you are building in the future, the business, the economy, and the life is one where you have others with you. You are not alone. They are with you, success is with you, and I AM with you. This is the spirit of success, and the glory that will bring you to your goal.

The Third Challenge: The Issue of Dissatisfaction

The person who has started a diet, and after three months, wonders why they have not lost what they wanted to is dissatisfied, even though they look better. The business owner who implements a new sales strategy, but the sales don’t turn around overnight or in a few months, is dissatisfied. The person at work, who after three months is wondering when they are going to get the raise for working overtime and meeting deadlines, and doesn’t get it right away, is dissatisfied. Often those who need to work hard at the business, and the glory of success doesn’t penetrate the walls and fill their bank with money, do get dissatisfied. It is a major challenge for those with problems focusing, those who procrasitnate and begin prioritizing other people, businesses, and problems into their life without dealing with their goal, at some point they became dissatisfied. Once the people began working on the temple of Solomon, they expected an immediate success and reversal of all their years of inactivity. Of course, dissatisfaction is easy to catch, easy to distribute, and easy to pass on, because labeling the negative is always easier. The prophet asked the holy men and high priests, when you take a piece of meat and put it against something holy does it become holy. The answer was no. He then asked, if I take the piece of meat, and I put it against the ground, does it become unclean, or dirty. The answer was an immediate yes. The conclusion therefore, was that being holy was a gift, given to the objects, which takes time and is bestowed upon the object. In the same respect, success is a gift, and it doesn’t happen the moment you touch the surface of it. It doesn’t happen from rubbing against other successful people, even though it helps, it happens after time, faith, and the strong ethics it takes to build the temple. Therefore, it comes down to you.

In order to overcome Dissatisfaction, follow the advice:

1. Be Clean: It is easier to become dirty with your thoughts, dissatisfied, and disappointed than it is to feel successful, or be successful. It only takes one dab of dirt to make something dirty, but one dab of success is enough glory often for a lifetime. I suggest you surpass the thinking of dissatisfaction, poverty thinking, and focus on the wealthy, open, and giving nature of building a house for all. Being clean, is remembering the end goal, following through with it, and building it, and believing in those within it to continue the glory. Keep yourself clean, and those around you clean. With hard work, strength, and belief, the gift of success is eminent. Rarely have I ever seen a driven, focused, all believing person, going towards the goal of surpassing yesterdays glory actually not reach success. Assets of your life that often get tarnished include your time, energy, money, ability, and reputation. Devoting these resources towards success is the cleanest approach to building a business. Diverting the resources often muddies the water and delays the success you are looking for. Be aware of clean, and unclean things and their influence on each other.
2. Expectations: It is important that your expectations are not to become an instant success, as it just isn’t in the cards for everyone. For the most part, those who believe in an instant success often end up fruitless, building a house for themselves with no one else in it. This doesn’t mean that you can’t wake up every day focussing on surpassing the glory of yesterday, and living with success in your spirit, but the true success of ones life comes with the sustained glory we all pursue. Many people preach of managing expectations, but in this case, the message is clearly, don’t allow yourself to be dissatisfied if your expectations are not immediate. It is healthy to have high expectations, and to push yourself forward to overcome the three challenges, but when you have built the company, and you have satisfied the people around you, it is not uncommon to feel something missing. That missing piece is an illusion developed by expectations and the negative or unclean around you. You are in your greatest happiness when you have in the presence of yourself, and are encouraged to fulfill your commission. As long as you encourage yourself, you will be encouraged to meet your goals, like the the message of the prophet was complemented by the direct activity of God who stirred up in the cold hearts a renewed desire for doing His will, where the builders began working again with renewed energy, as will you!
3. Your Commission: You set what your commission is, what your purpose is, and what your goals are. Others may try, but you are the one who sets those expectations with yourself. Know your commission, and believe in the glory and success of it. The highest blessing is within the embracing of the spirit of entrepreneurship within you, and making this your commission, to build for the greater good and true meaning of business. You can only be dissatisfied if you give yourself the opportunity to not be satisfied. We should not allow the difficultes, enemies, or selfish pursuits to turn us aside from the promised presence of glory. Know your commission, and allow all those around you to know it and respect it as well, but be satisfied in knowing you are happy and respectful of your purpose and self. This is the key to opening the door to the spirit of entrepreneurship, the spirit of business, and yourself.

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