Entrepreneurship / I Must Have Got Lost
Have you ever been lost? I am sure you have, although with the Google machine, getting lost is less likely these days. But have you ever been really, really lost? Meaning like you literally had no idea of where the heck you are? I honestly and thankfully can say that I have never been lost in that sense. Except maybe after the couple of concussions I have had. (Explains a lot, does it not?) And one thing about being physically lost, you know it.
But lost in the metaphysical sense? Happens much more often than we entrepreneurs would like to admit and, sadly, we, the lost, are very often unaware of “being lost.” “Being lost” metaphysically can relate to your work, your faith, your relationships, or any number of things.
When we get lost in this sense, why is it so hard to realize? Because unlike a physical destination, where you know where you are supposed to be--you know where the Walmart on Route 88 or where Neptune’s Net on the PCH is--getting lost metaphysically, by definition, is not concrete and generally results from confusing what is important with what we perceive as important.
And the cause of the non-physical lost plays a big role in not being able to see the situation clearly. Being lost in this sense is generally caused by ego, pride, selfishness, bias, etc. Any entrepreneurs encounter those issues from time to time? Or even physical stuff like being overly busy. The curse and blessing of being an entrepreneur. In any event, for each one of these causes, to find your bearings, you must admit you blew it. Not easy in the least.
If we are honest with ourselves, the more serious type of lost happens all the time and the consequences are much more serious. You can always reset the Google machine to find the Walmart—or Neptune’s Net, much more fun--but if you lie to a client to close a sale, embarrass your employee in front of the staff, devote too much time at work at the expense of the relationship with your spouse or give your children a bad example by yelling at the refs at their third-grade basketball game, there is no Google search that can solve for that. And the effects are longer-term, not short-term, and more consequential.
I am not going to bore you at this time about how I stumbled on my personal vocation at the ripe, old age of 68. But what I will say is that, despite my resolve to teach, to write, to consult via Full Sail, it is very easy to misplace these efforts to be for the glory of Dave and not the greater glory. Constantly, I catch myself “getting lost” and having to step back and remember that Full Sail is not about making money or being a “playa”—not the beach in LA-- having 21,000 followers, or getting 4,000 “likes.” Full Sail and its journey are about getting others to be successful which means: a) being very successful in their business or career; b) helping them find their personal vocation; and c) doing both (a) and (b) in a values-based manner. And those are not just Catholic goals. They should be “everybody” goals.
Getting lost comes in all shapes and sizes but lost mentally, emotionally or morally are the most difficult to recognize and recover from. Especially for an entrepreneur. Even if the goals you are striving to achieve are for the greater good, you have to be careful not to let your ego, your biases, your busyness, your business, or whatever cause you to lose your point of sail, get you off course, and forget why you were headed that way in the first place. Ending up “on the rocks” is never pleasant. So, check your moral compass from time to time and make sure you are doing the right things, for the right reasons and avoid the shipwreck.
Show A Little Faith.