I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Is It a Sign?
Hi Reader,
So, maybe this is just me, but sometimes I think the universe is sending me signs.
(It's not just me, right?)
The other day I was walking down my street in NYC, on my way to meet a friend, and I noticed this bright pink post-it note sitting on a tree guard—just kind of willy-nilly balanced there. Not even stuck in place.
There were lots of other people walking down the street in both directions. This post-it was not hidden. It was right there.
Did I mention it was bright pink? Like neon?!
Nobody but me seemed to notice it, though. They all happily walked right by. Completely oblivious.
I walked by it. Read it. Smiled and then just kept right on walking.
But, I'd forgotten something back at my apartment that I needed.
So, I found myself walking by that post-it again.
This time, I stopped. I pulled out my phone and took a photo.
On the one hand, coming across this note felt completely random. It seemed like one of those New York moment things that would be a fun anecdote to share with friends.
On the other hand, it really did feel kind of personal.
Like a message meant specifically for me.
Is that crazy? Maybe.
After all, this could be some kind of social experiment. Perhaps there was a hidden camera recording people's reactions.
Or, maybe, another New Yorker simply dropped it—on purpose or by mistake.
By now, I'm sure you're wondering, "What the heck was on this post-it, already?!"
It said, "They're not worth it"
That's it. Not even a punctuation mark. Just "They're not worth it".
Innocuous and generic enough to apply to pretty much anyone, and yet I can't shake this feeling like some intervention of fate or whatever has put this message in my path for a reason!
Like one of those annoying earworm ditties, it rises up from my subconscious when I least expect it, and there I am contemplating the meaning of those 4 little words—They're not worth it.
Maybe I should have mentioned this at the start, but I don't have an answer to this riddle or conundrum or cipher.
It's just got me thinking that sometimes, yes, things happen for a reason. We're hit by a Mack truck, a gut punch, a crack of thunder. Everything becomes clear and simple, laid out before us.
But sometimes, those flashes of insight need to marinate and take their time, like little smoldering embers left on their own to spread and catch fire.
Their truth gets revealed to us over time or, perhaps more accurately, in their own time.
And, we need to be okay with that.
Patience, after all, is a virtue for a reason.
In some way, it's the same with business.
You try something, and bam, people love it. Woo-hoo.
Other times, you try something, and it takes time for it to take root and blossom, for you to figure out how best to help it flourish. (I've written before about how gardening and entrepreneurship have a lot in common.)
I guess my message for this week is that just like some mysteries of the universe take time to reveal themselves, some aspects of your business strategy also take time to figure out. And that's okay.
Have faith that the answers will come to you.
That's what I'm gonna do.
Until next week, slow your roll and watch for the signs that are all around us.
Want some help figuring out the mysteries of your business strategy?
Schedule a free consultation today.
PS - If you missed it, I admitted to having A Fool for a Client last week. Why not check it out.
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I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
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