Entrepreneur Enlightenment

How to Become an Enlightened Entrepreneur I’ve created a definition of enlightenment specifically for entrepreneurs. It has three important parts. Being in a state of enlightenment means you: 1. Have transcended your ego and your fears, 2. Fully accept that you are a perfect expression of the divine, and 3. Understand you come into this life with an important purpose. The first part of this definition speaks about transcending your ego and fears. Doing so will help you take risks, take action, and move forward with what you are here to create. This also helps you respond well to life’s challenges. Letting go of your ego helps you have better relationships which in turn gives you more support and energy for your purpose. The second part refers to accepting that you are perfect, that you are divine–we all are. If you do not believe that you are good enough, that you have what it takes, then you might not even try. As a spiritual teacher, I’ve had to overcome my own ego. The voice that asked, “Who am I to teach?” I observed that we are all completely capable of carrying out our purpose. The third part is to know that your purpose is important, and the world will benefit by you fulfilling it. To establish your purpose-driven business, and to give it all you’ve got, you need to believe that you have a purpose and that fulfilling it benefits others. This will keep you going when you might be tempted to give up. The Path to Enlightenment through Entrepreneurship Over the years while coaching purpose-driven entrepreneurs to establish and expand their businesses, I discovered that there is a path to enlightenment through entrepreneurship. I noticed that someone’s business is a very good feedback mechanism for how aligned they are with their purpose and to know if they are in a state of enlightenment. I observed that when someone is in state of enlightenment, customers and opportunities come to them and that their business thrives. On the other hand, when they are not in an enlightened state, although they might work hard, the results are not quite what they hoped for. When you feel that you are working hard but you’re not achieving the results you expected, don’t work harder. Instead, stop and ask yourself some of the following questions: - Am I working from love or ego and fear? - Am I more focused on my purpose or money? - Do I feel deserving and good enough or unworthy? - Am I taking chances, or am I limiting myself? - Am I aligned with my path? - Am I allowing others to support me? As you meditate on each of those questions you can see what is true for you and you can adjust your approach. This is how your business gives you an indication of whether or not you are in a state of enlightenment and if you are aligned with your purpose. This is how business and spirituality meet. I love working with entrepreneurs because an entrepreneur’s actions–or the lack of actions–produce a result, and that result is visible in the reality of their business. When working for somebody else, one’s actions have some effect on the overall business, but the direct effect is not always clear. As a result, it’s harder to correct the path because the link from cause to effect is not direct. However, our own business will respond very rapidly to our energy: whether we attract clients or not, whether we attract opportunities or not, whether we see abundance coming in or not–all of this depends on our vibration. It is harder to be a leader in your own business than a leader working for another person or in a corporate setting. In a corporate environment, you can hide behind processes and procedures, behind your boss, or even behind your staff. In your own business, there is no place to hide. If something is not working, you need to observe and adjust your alignment and your vibration. I see the entrepreneur’s path like climbing a mountain. If you come to a wall, you can stand there and cry about how it is impossible to continue, or you can look around to see an alternate route to continue your climb. Is turning back a third option? I don’t think so. Giving up is rarely an option that leads to happiness. You need to look at alternatives: bring all you are to the game and use your creativity, determination, and conviction to find your path. This is how personal development and spiritual enrichment are directly linked to your business success. If we want to thrive, we need to find ways to progress that are sustainable and fulfilling. We need to find ways that give us more energy instead of leaving us depleted. This is possible only when we work in conjunction with the Universe.