The Road Not Taken

Recently Seth Godin blogged about Roads Not Taken. He discusses how we are inclined to  keep track common mistakes we make such as, eating that forbidden bowl of ice cream, or failing to keep a promise you made. We ALL have been there.  But, why don’t we kick our selves in the butt about the risks we failed to take?  How many of us are pursing our dreams?  Are you doing what you love to do, or did you take the ‘less risky route’?

Perhaps you should think about the stock you didn’t buy, the innovation you didn’t pursue, the compliment you didn’t give?

Way more productive, I think, to push yourself to be more in the world, not to encourage yourself to hide.

The past few months I have been pursuing a road that I’ve never taken before, starting my business.  Years ago I realized I wanted to own a business, but I never pursued that desire.  I chose to keep doing what I was doing.  Thankfully, I have a husband that recognized my desire, potential and ability to do what it is I really wanted to do, and he backed me 100%  The idea of failure is scary, and intimidating, even writing this post was difficult.   The realization that dreams are wishes that seldom happen, and life does not hand yo your dreams you have to make them happen.  So each day I continue to walk down that road that I passed by many times before.  As Seth put it, “I’m pushing myself to be more in the world,” instead of hiding from it.

I’m on course to open an online ’boutique’ where I will sell home decor (throw pillows, shower curtains, etc), and a few other items made from textiles that I designed!!!!  I received the fabric samples yesterday, and I’m very, very happy with the way they came out.  Now I can take the next step which is getting samples products made.  There so many elements that I have to think of , but everything is starting to come together.  This road is exciting, scary, long, hard, fun, rewarding…. but I’m not looking back.

PS.

Need motivation to walk down a road you’ve never taken?  Here is one of my favorite poems, written by Robert Frost.

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

Tags: business startup, entrepreneurship, Motivation, newlywed, Robert Frost, Seth Godin, starting a business, startup