It never ceases to amaze me how many people think success comes with no effort.
Maybe they know there’s effort involved, but at the littlest bump in the road they give up on their dreams.
Most entrepreneurs, especially those I work with, start their business to fulfill a dream and what they believe to be their life’s work.
Many have no idea what’s in store. The ups and downs, the good times and bad times, the ins and outs.
It Takes Work
The fact is, to succeed at anything takes an incredible commitment. You must have the willingness to stick it out. There are bound to be times you question your sanity as to why you thought you would succeed in the first place. I know I did… more than once.
In the nearly 20 years I’ve owned my business there were plenty of times I wondered what the heck I was thinking by starting a business. There were times when I wondered if I would be able to pay the mortgage. Other times I had to literally count my pennies if I wanted to go to the dollar movie. Today, it’s a completely different story.
To say I paid my dues is an understatement. There were many very early mornings, late nights, sixteen and eighteen hour days to learn my craft, build my business and create a sustainable business.
Not everyone realizes this. Many mistakenly believe that I just “figured it out.”
Watch Your Thoughts
Something that definitely helped me get through the uncertain times was filling my mind with possibility thinking by listening to inspirational speakers.
My taste in inspirational speakers rangers from Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, Gay Hendricks, Joel Osteen and virtually anyone who triggers that space in me that encourages me to live my life fully yet, with responsibility and accountability.
One of my very favorites is Joyce Meyer. Joyce is a powerful speaker and one of the most influential evangelical ministers ever.
A few months back I had the opportunity to see her live. I was in awe of the experience.
It was like being at a rock concert. Parking my car, in and of itself, was an experience. There were dozens of parking attendance directing people in the parking area.
Once inside the massive arena, we were directed to available seating in the 20,000 seat building.
The buzz of excitement could be felt throughout the building. There were product concessions, food concessions and security guards keeping people from blocking doorways and entries.
Just before the star attraction came on stage we were treated to a light show and high energy band.
This kind of experience is not uncommon for anyone who attends a Joyce Meyer conference. It’s beyond amazing.
But… it wasn’t always this way. When Joyce first got her calling to minister, little did she know what was in front of her.
For nearly 20 years there were multiple obstacles, she was ostracized by family members because women were not meant to be ministers, she was kicked out of the church she was attending, she and her husband Dave would drive all night from one location to another to speak to small groups of followers, and on many occasions would sleep in their car because they didn’t have the money to get a hotel room.
Fast forward to today. She has written over 70 books, conducts close to fifteen mega conferences annually, and reaches a potential audience of 3 billion people worldwide with her Enjoying Everyday Life® broadcast.
Time magazine selected Joyce as one of the most influential evangelical leaders in America.
Imagine if she would have quit?

• Did she ever feel like quitting? Likely she did.
• Did she ever get frustrated? Without a doubt.
• Did she ever question her sanity? She has actually talked extensively about this in her conferences.

So what kept her going?
Her calling to do her life’s work, her willingness to move through the tough times, her realization that her gifts WOULD make a difference for others.
What’s Your Calling?
It’s the same for any of us who have a calling; one that will be expressed through our businesses.
It has been said, “There is no such thing as failure in business. There’s only quitting.”
Will building a business be tough? Yes! If anyone tells you otherwise they are full of it.
As you move forward be sure to have a vision, have a plan and most of all, show up every day and do the footwork.
What are your thoughts on this? Does success simply “happen” or do you have to work at it? Comments welcome.