Teachable moments

I love the idea that every moment, experience, tribulation is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and others. If nothing else, it gives an opportunity for something positive to come out a negative situation.

In my young career, dealing with my own clients has been interesting. I used to think of myself a business guy. Meaning, once I graduated college, I would enter the business world and automatically do well. I still think that eventually one day I will be successful in business dealings. However, its been shown to me that being successful in business is not an intelligence test. There are thousands of little lessons to be learned that, however easily shared, cannot be learned without experiencing it first hand. Until you learn them, you will inevitably make the mistake. For instance, the idea that money in hand is worth more than money promised. Its counter-intuitive to what makes sense when investing, but doesn’t contradict the idea of investing (putting money you have now “to work” for higher returns later).  

Its the little tricks of each tribulation that will eventually get you to a point where you create better chances of succeeding than failing. Like anything else, success is made marginally. If you do the little things correctly a million times, then the overall picture will be a success. The fewer the mistakes, the better chance you will win.

I realize now that each failure teaches you something. Each success, however nice, does not necessarily make you better at what you do. I think the Utah Utes football season proves that enough.

In that, since graduating midsummer last year I have learned a lot. I’ve had my own failings, I’ve had other people fail me, and I’ve seen other people just fail. Every once in a while there has been a success. I don’t anticipate this to stop anytime in the future. 

I’ve learned so much in the past year that its truly incredible. I feel like being on my own has definitely intensified the learning experience. If I screw up, I may not eat. With that fear in the back of your mind, you learn at a quicker rate. However, its exhausting, scary and sometimes you don’t eat. The negatives of being your own employer. 

Working for a company, you still have that chance of your failures leading to not eating (ie, ruining a company that it shuts down, being fired). However, due to the nature of working together with a group of people, there are basic procedures that ensure opportunities to truly fuck up are at a minimum. 

Hopefully, you have more successes than failures. If you put enough work in, I’m sure that is bound to happen. In the past year, I’ve definitely had enough successes to validate trying. It is exhausting and scary though. 

I think I’m ready to try being employed by someone else. I’ve had enough fear in the past year that I’m ready for a consistent pay check. However, I don’t think this will be the last time I ever work for myself. Actually, I guarantee it.