If You Meet A Lion, Do Not Pet It

Sometimes the best advice comes from the mouths of babes. My granddaughter Libby was enrolled in a program called Safety Town which taught children how to be safe: the art of crossing the street, what you can put in your mouth and what should remain a mystery along with other important life lessons. Libby, who is five, was sharing all this newfound knowledge with her mother and brother Ian. Ian is three and a half going on retirement age. Not to be outdone, he shouted from the backseat of the car, “I have a rule! If you meet a lion, don’t pet it.” Darn good advice.

There is a lot of truth in the old saying keep it simple. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to be prophetic that we miss the essence of what is important. Robert Fulghum wrote a book called All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. I decided to join a few of these elemental lessons to the art of being an entrepreneur. Perhaps when we think about the lesson without all the rhetoric, we’ll get to the heart of the matter.

Rule 1: Share everything.
The opportunity to become an entrepreneur is a gift. Entrepreneurship is a vehicle to living a purposeful life, a way to fulfill your dreams. It is very much about cooperation and service and becoming all that your are destined to be while helping others do the same.

Rule 2: Play fair.
Follow the rules. Actually, you only need to follow one: the Golden Rule. Treat people with respect and honesty. Let principles and ethics be the guidelines you follow.

Rule 3: Flush
We all carry around things we should have gotten rid of long ago: anger, resentment, doubts, fears and negative thoughts about ourselves. These things do not serve us. Put them where they belong and flush.

Rule 4: Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Be open to receiving. You deserve to have a life of abundance and live the best life possible. This abundance does not mean you hoard what you have. Reread Rule 1; the more you have, the more good you can do in the world.

Rule 5: Live a balanced life.
The operative word here is LIFE. People look to entrepreneurship as a way to have the kind of life that is a fulfillment of their dream. If you have a dream that is not being served now, perhaps it’s time for a change.

Rule 6: Look.
You don’t have to look far to find the kind of assistance and guidance you need to be successful as an entrepreneur. There are books, CDs, videotapes, seminars, workshops and teleconference calls to help you. Better yet, there are sculpted teachers, people who have been through the experience, people who are living the best life possible and are willing to share all of their knowledge and experience with you to help you do the same. You may be in business for yourself, but you never have to do this by yourself.

Rule 7: Wonder
Allow yourself to bask in the wonder of it all. How fortunate you are to live in this place, at this time in history. Your dreams can be your reality if you allow yourself to embrace the wonder of the opportunity.

These may not be all the rules, but they are the ones that speak to me. My advice would be to find some people who still dream and encourage others to do the same. Listen to the wisdom that comes from their sharing with one another. Until then remember, if you meet a lion, don’t pet it.

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