Dreamers and Doers..

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So I am ashamed to admit that I was reading Russel Simmons latest book "Do You." I usually do not make a habit of picking up what appears to be a gimmicky self-help book. However, I was bored and began scanning. The book captured my interest so much that I actually bought it. I have tried to set aside time each night to read another chapter. Last night's chapter was about acting on one's dreams.

Simmons went on to say that we must not wait for something to happen to us, but let ourselves become swept away by our ideas. It is only then that the world becomes a magical place and our deepest dreams are realized.

As I thought about this, I realized, this is the vital tipping point that turns a dreamer into a success. "Just doing it," is the pivotal action that separates the successful entrepreneur from those with mere ideas. Yes, it is inevitable that if we follow all our ideas, we will fail. We will fail more than we succeed, but we will never succeed without trying.

So many people have ideas, but wait for the right time, the right investor, the right life situation. There is no more right time than the present moment. I remember distinctly a time, late in my graduate school career when I was told that I tended to "act without much consultation." This was framed as a negative trait. I think in some way, I have carried this notion, always questioning whether my actions are courageous or just plain foolish. After reading Simmons' take, I feel that he confirmed something I always knew, but never quite articulated.

I hope that if you are an entrepreneur, reading this, maybe it will ignite in you that flame that carries you from stagnation to action.