Comments on: Meet Pollyanna’s kick-ass cousin

By: Curtis Bachman

Curtis Bachman — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:19:42 +0000

i will try this wen i workout…well except for the substitute barbell placement, it looks like the guy’s wrist in the video is going to snap off

By: Mike_Coombs

Mike_Coombs — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:20:31 +0000

There is a Buddhist concept called "beginners mind". I think that it is quite a bit like the "optimism" you say you you see in entrepreneurs.

"Beginner's mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgements and prejudices. Beginner's mind is just present to explore and observe and see "things as-it-is." I think of beginner's mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement. "I wonder what this is? I wonder what that is? I wonder what this means?" Without approaching things with a fixed point of view or a prior judgement, just asking "what is it?"

Entrepreneurs with "beginners mind" are able to make their choices and judgements from a much broader palate of ideas. They are not naive, although they sometimes seem it. They don't dwell on what won't or didn't work, they quickly note it, learn from it, and move right on to the next issue… with beginners mind!.

By: Nathalie S. Jorge

Nathalie S. Jorge — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:23:06 +0000

Love this post! Glad to have found your blog and you via twitter. Thought you might enjoy this McKinsey article, especially the bit on positive framing http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Organization/Tal...

By: Darryl Parker

Darryl Parker — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:51:51 +0000

I think there is a huge difference between the newbie and the experienced business owner. This difference is given little press in the dot com start up world. It seems so many overnight CEOs have become rockstars that everyone thinks they can pull it off overnight. When it doesn’t happen next day, the pessimistic dive for what’s comfortable – misery.

I’ve found very few business owners with 5+ years of experience in the physical day-to-day owning of a business that aren’t the nicest people you’d ever care to meet even if times are tough. In that same light I always get a feel for those starting up who have a better shot at making it than others based on their outlook. The optimists simply thrive.

By: Lisa Hoffmann

Lisa Hoffmann — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:03:32 +0000

@Eric: You would know. You continually impress me with new, unconventional ways to market your business. You, sir, are a Phoena.

@Jay: Absolutely! When everyone else is pulling back, shore up your courage and jump into the void. Geronimo!

@Nick: Good for you for speaking up. Love to hear how you positioned social media so that your boss could understand its benefits.

Thanks all for contributing to the conversation!

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:32:39 +0000

I really enjoyed this post. Yesterday, at our yearly planning meeting, I was the young new guy trying to explain social media to my boss. Not only the need for us to become more involved, but how we can sell it to our customers. It did take courage to speak up and not only explain social media, but defend the small niche that I am carving out for our store.

By: Jay Ehret

Jay Ehret — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:18:44 +0000

Spot on, Lisa! So when you hear someone talking about the “bad economy” you say “Yea, so? What are you going to do about it?” Lay low? Pull back? Not if you’re Phoena.

By: Eric Brown

Eric Brown — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:47:19 +0000

Hey Lisa,
Pretty interesting post and eloquently written. Courage is a fascinating attribute. Although you don’t hear them often, I love to hear stories from business veterans, the men and woman who have fought back the fear long enough to create something Remarkable. It seems that when this or that happens, there is a perception it doesn’t or hasn’t happened to those before us, but it has and it does. The phrase “There is Nothing New Under the Sun” rings true.

Starting a business, building a business and staying the course to create something truly remarkable requires lots of courage and tenacity. The simplest items require you to step out from the norm, be looked at as different, take a leap of faith, because your idea may fail, may cost money, yours or someone else’s, may not be popular, may offend someone, may offend a lot of folks, but maybe, if you can drive back the fear long enough to be creative, to be remarkable, your idea may just change something for the better. But, listen to the pundits too long and even the best of ideas become diluted mush.

By: Lisa Hoffmann

Lisa Hoffmann — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:56:18 +0000

Scott,

People find courage from lots of different sources, and I’m sure many draw it from their faith. Believing in yourself is hard for some and I say rely on whatever feels right.

Thanks for commenting!

~ Lisa

By: scott crawford

scott crawford — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:30:27 +0000

Nice. Thanks.
And courage comes from….
Not baiting. Just wondering why faith isn’t here. Not talking religion, but the spiritual faith that underpins confidence to believe that no matter what, it’s going to be okay.

Keep the faith! And have fun.
Scott