How Well Do You Experiment?

One experiment after another. That is much of what I do of late. I have a lot of ideas to help people come closer to one another through connecting with their ancestors.

As I test one thing, another idea comes up. I get to choose the paths I will follow. Sometimes I avoid good ones out of fear. Other times I chase paths that I know aren’t as useful because I want to distract myself from what I know I should be doing.

Does this sound familiar?

Are You Stretching Yourself?

I look at my ancestors and I see patterns. Some always tried to play it safe. It seldom worked out that way for them, but that was their goal, safety.

Others wanted more out of life. They wanted to feel fulfilled. They didn’t always reach their attempted goals, but they had more success as people than those who played it safe.

My two grandfathers are a good example of both types. Doyle was a selfish man. He didn’t take chances that he felt could lead to failure. He associated with those of weak mental or emotional constitution. Doyle thought of himself more than of others.

Siegfried on the other hand took life by the horns. When he was sixteen, his father had surgery that left him weak and unable to manage their estate. My grandfather took over and knowing that farming was not going to satisfy him, he changed the affairs of the estate to try raising horses.

Change And Chance Affect Us

I don’t know that Doyle ever owned a home. When he died, he left nothing but debt. He only met my father once, at the end of his life. He never sought him out.

Siegfried lost his estate to the Russians in World War II. He lost his family for a couple of years before he was reunited with them as they were all refugees. Trying something new, he emigrated to the United States because he saw opportunity and wanted to see what he could make for himself and his family.

After a few years, he owned his own home. Eventually he would own more land and a nice home that he put his own loving touches into. He also was a business owner with my father.

The difference comes down to attitude. Doyle never saw enough for himself, let alone anyone else. Siegfried saw opportunity and attempted many times to grasp it. Success sometimes came, and sometimes did not. Life was not easy, but he grew, and so did those of us who were part of the experiment.

How Is Your Experimenting Going?

Are you an entrepreneur? Perhaps you should be if you aren’t right now. Attempting to create something is not only for the super successful. It could be something as simple as making a craft or teaching the neighbor’s kids a skill you have.

Will it be hard? Parts of it should be. Yes, should be. It is an opportunity to stretch yourself. To knock off your rough corners and become more than you are today. If you are waiting until you are perfect before you try, get past that limiting thought process and go for it.

Part of being an entrepreneur is to find a mentor who can help guide you through pitfalls and emotions that will slow you down or stop you. There all kinds of mentors, and you should determine which type is most useful to you today.

If you have tried to do something creative in the past and you failed, good! Take some time to assess the lessons of that failure. It is valuable and when you start to see the value, you will be grateful that you failed.

Entrepreneurship will test you, and you will make mistakes. You will also progress in ways you will never have imagined. Trust me, it is worth the effort. Go ahead, experiment a little and see how you change.