From womb to tomb - you're an entrepreneur.
In fact, you've taken on the form of many different startups since your conception. Your first big position was CEO of an "In-Vitro Cell Multiplier & Umbilical Sucker" Agency that produced Morning Sickness on tap.
(...put that on your next resume...) 😂
Through every passing era, your role has evolved.
You've built and re-built startup after startup. The burning remnants of iterations have tumbled to the ground at your feet, and you've picked up the coles with your bare skin and whispered:
"Time to build again... but this time... I know better..."
You're always learning - always iterating.
The previous versions of yourself have had different values to offer. You've had a variety of complex mandates for how you live and deal with situations.
You've merged with girlfriends/boyfriends - husbands and wives.
You've annexed with a new city for new jobs to employ your skills.
You've collaborated with social communities like Hive as co-authors of your destiny and "sharers" of your ideals.
And through it all, you've dipped your toes in many waters. You've felt the heat of the fire and discovered just how close you could get before it burns you.
Your journey on Hive (as well as mine) has been one of those endeavors.
But as with all things... you're still learning. Just as I am.
Just as we all are.
Today, I was prompted (by a lead for my business, actually 😅) to write about something that MUST be avoided if we want to grow - not just on Hive or in business - but in every area of life.
So here's the odious thing that warrants avid aversion like bread warrants peanut butter & jelly...
The Poison Of "Entitlement" (...an entrepreneur's disaster...)
"Entitlement"...
In (almost) 2022, this 11-letter word holds a rather negative connotation.
Just say it... Whisper it under your breath...
...and bubbling up from the soundwaves will come vivid visions of 30-year-old toddlers stomping their feet and banging their fists on the table as they scream at the top of their lungs:
"THAT'S MINE! I'M THE BOSS!"
I find it especially noticeable in the troubling world of "wanna-be-entrepreneurship". Notice, I didn't say entrepreneurship itself - because the most successful entrepreneurs I know live and breathe at least a few key tenants - and "entitlement" isn't one of them...
Here is a more accurate (and by all means, non-holistic) list:
- Taking responsibility for one's own actions.
- Being adaptive to change.
- Showing empathy and respect for others.
- And never expecting anything they didn't EARN from others.
That last one (#4) is incredibly important because when we start expecting other people to just "give us stuff" (whether that's a business opportunity, a click in an email, or even the scraps of attention left of their free time), we completely lose sight of how people actually operate.
The entire basis of a successful business is really built on the back of this one thing:
- Delivering value to other people.
It's not about what we GET. It's about what we GIVE.
After all, if we don't add value to others, we don't really have a business at all, do we?
And if we don't provide value and yet still take people's money, that would make us con artists - not entrepreneurs, right?
But where many people focus on adding value ONLY to the themselves - I want to focus on something else entirely:
- A 360-degree, multi-faceted value-giving mindset.
Your Success Can't Be Single-Sided
Think of your life as if it's the Legendary armor you wear in your favorite RPG. Many of the pieces are socketed, and you can put Gems and Magic Stones in different places.
And while an enemy may have the same base armor you do, what you put into those sockets is up to you. What you graft into your armor becomes your advantage - your differentiator between you and another character.
Each addition you make has a selection of specific benefits. And if you balance them just so... you'll have all the traits necessary to ride confidently into battle and win.
Some Stones will increase things like Defense. Some might increase abilities. Some might increase your ability to Attack. And maybe some will increase your Magical powers.
And while having more focus in certain areas is what makes you different, if you sacrifice too much of one for the others, you may end up DOA.
- The Magic Stones and Gems you choose must be carefully balanced to provide the most powerful effect.
But often, in life and in business, people fail to balance the items they "put into their sockets" with meaning and purpose.
It can be easy to focus on "attack" because we want to "kill the enemy fast" - but when we focus only on survival - we get so wrapped up in defense that we look like a preacher trying to survive the battlefield in Saving Private Ryan.
Needless to say, these things don't work in our favor.
Now think of this:
What would happen if you assembled your life in such a way that EVERY touchpoint someone has with you adds value to them?
What if all your Hive posts were valuable and helped people?
What if your collaborations at work exuded value above all else?
What if everyone you encountered felt respected and well-treated by you?
What if you communicated more effectively and spent more time developing your themes?
This is where (I'm learning) you really start having positive results in life. It's when you start really living this way (authentically) that the universe starts casting that value back at you in the form of:
New friends...
New fans...
New leads for your business...
Better relationships ...
Collaborations...
And more...
Yes, it takes time. But think of it as a mountain river in the springtime. As the snow melts, it slowly adds more until the river is raging.
It happens slowly, but before you know it, it's become a powerful force that can't be deterred - carrying you to new heights.
True Gratification Isn't Instant
In life, we seem to do this:
We invest all our value in (what we perceive to be) "quick wins". And we're naturally inclined to desire instant gratification for our efforts rather than taking the slow road to the top.
I recently read a post by 
And while I "fell off the Hive wagon" for a while, I definitely see the value in sticking around. I'm loving Splinterlands. I'll finally be in a financial position to put more "skin in the game" soon. I get so much more out of what I read after having learned so much the past couple of years.
This community really is an opportunity to share incredible value with one another. I just wish I was a faster reader! 😂 But I'm working on that.
But there's one point that I'm trying to make, and that's this:
- Honor on this platform is earned, not just received by happenstance.
It takes a series of interactions and engagements to really get on people's radar. It's not that easy, and it requires effort. But if you're in it for the right reasons - it's all worth it.
The people I've had personal interactions with here like 
...all these people have been producing incredible value for the community since I first struggled to understand what a HASH string was and how to log in with that blasted "Posting Key"...
They've never stopped. They've stuck with it. And for each of them (and all of us who've enjoyed their content) it has paid off well.
I've never walked into a single one of their posts and been disappointed. And so, I know I can trust them with my time.
That's where the value is: trust.
They've each far more than earned their trust in the hearts of Hivers across the world. And they've each certainly had their own share of influence on my life (whether they realize it or not).
I guess, what I'm saying is:
- We can all take an example from their book and take responsibility for everything we put out into the world.
Myself VERY included.
Because...
We're All Hive-repreneurs
Every one of us IS our own brand here...
Our words, videos, and thoughts leave a permanent impression on each other as we trade value like blistering hot metal back and forth with our fingers, our voices, and for some of us, our instruments.
Always learning. Ever-evolving.
We brand each other with smoldering irons of meaning, resculpting our own beliefs, and helping others to transcend old mindsets.
And behind every wallet key is the face - the mind of a brand. Electrically charged, churning, and firing signals across the chain.
Because on Hive:
- You are a brand.
- Your content is the product.
- I am your customer.
"So... what's on the menu today?" 🙄
And with your own brand comes the responsibility to grow it...
The Responsibility Of Your Success Is On YOU
With great responsibility...
...comes the OBLITERATION of an "entitled" mindset.
You and I are in the driver's seat. No one else.
You and I decide the time and effort we'll put into these posts.
You and I decide if we'll spend the extra time putting more depth and visual stimuli into the language.
You and I decide if we'll elicit visceral reactions in one another.
You and I decide if we will create for impact and meaningful change in one another.
You and I will decide if we take those extra few minutes to grab the best pictures and visual aids we can.
Our success is in our hands.
Let's do our best with what we've got.
