One of my favorite books is The Words Lincoln Lived By, by our good friend and Brain Trust member, Gene Griessman. That’s where I found this Lincoln quote about tenacity: “I expect to maintain this contest until successful, or till I die, or am conquered, or my term expires, or Congress or the country forsakes me.”
Sound familiar? If you are a small business owner, I bet it sounds very familiar. It might even give you a little chill when you read those 140-year-old words. you know, hearing the essence of your being translated into the spoken word in a way in which you may never have actually spoken it out loud.
As an Army officer I was taught to be responsible for everything my unit did or failed to do. In small business, and you’ve heard me say this before, “You turn the lights on, you turn the lights off. Whatever it takes.”
Tenacity. I sure do like that word, and I admire tenacious people. Are you tenacious? The tenacious have the courage of their convictions. Courage, period. Passion. A strong spirit. Maybe even an indomitable spirit.
If you are a small business owner you know how far down inside of you that you have to reach to rise above all of the challenges, train wrecks and surprises that are thrown at you. Sometimes deeper than you knew you could. Testing your mettle. I don’t care what anybody says, astronauts are heroes, but they don’t own the franchise on “the right stuff.” Small business owners have it, too.
I am so proud of you.
###
Follow the link below to listen to my latest interviews with Gene Griessman.
