We all have songs that make up the soundtrack of our lives. Some of these are as uplifting as Aretha coming at you from the front of the Church. But Hank Williams playing the victim in a minor key sends an entirely different message.
Recently, I was listening to Leonard Cohen’s Anthem. As my attention drifted in and out of the music, I realized the chorus was sending a message I needed to hear.
Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That’s how the light gets in.
These words speak directly to every entrepreneur who ever struggled bringing his or her creation to market.
Ring the bells that still can ring. Elite Business Coach Jay Abraham says, “Get everything you can out of all you’ve got.” I take his words — and Leonard’s — to mean that we should look for reasons to take action NOW. Ignore those voices saying you’re not ready, or the risk is too great. Those are simply limiting beliefs. Other’s limiting beliefs. Don’t make them yours! Ring the bells that still can ring. You have all the tools you need to survive — and thrive. Use them.
Forget your perfect offering. Who said it had to be perfect? That’s what first drafts are for. Let your creation breathe. There’s no shame in revision. Nike’s first running shoes look pretty ridiculous now. If their designers had waited to put out the perfect shoe, we’d still be running around in Bob Cousy’s old pf flyers. Your clients/customers will have feedback on things that never even occurred to you. If you listen, that feedback will help you make your product/ service better than you ever dreamed it could be. Forget your perfect offering. Just do it.
There is a crack in everything. You de-energize your creation by expecting it to be perfect. Perfection isn’t possible. Celebrate what you’ve done! You have the rest of your life to tweak it. Of course you want to do/be your best at all times. We all do. The key is to know that your best is good enough. I love the Navajo tradition of intentionally weaving one small flaw into their beautiful rugs to give any evil spirits residing in the rug a way to escape. There is a crack in everything. Let go of toxic fears. Embrace your unique contribution and honor your entrepreneurial spirit.
That’s how the light gets in. Welcome the light peeking through the crack. It comes to shine on your creation. You are an entrepreneur. You are, by definition, a creator. Give thanks for the cracks, the imperfections, the challenges. Trust. Believe. They are there for a reason. That’s how the light gets in.
The songs we sing to ourselves can become an inner dialogue. If you have a big idea that’s been incubating long enough, sing it out. Make it your Anthem.
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