The number 90 has been a motivator for me this week. I learned that the founders of the crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo, approached venture capitalists 90 times before receiving funding. Today, Indiegogo is worth ‘several hundred millions of dollars’ according to Forbes and has helped raise millions more for businesses.
I started a project last week, it’s the second time and in a year that I’ll attempt it as the first time I did not obtain the results I set out to, got discouraged and quit. So here I was one year later dealing with familiar thoughts of it fizzling out just like the last one did. I received an email which would determine if what I feared was what had happened. I was driving when the email popped up so didn’t read it until I arrived at my destination. In the short 4 minutes between receiving the email and opening it, I had played out various negative scenarios in my head. And then coached myself back into a positive place by reminding myself disappointment is merely a human emotion that’s passing by, I was to embrace it briefly and keep on moving. I recognize that I don’t fear negative scenarios, it is the negative emotion I dread. Then the number ’90’ popped up in my head. And I smiled, 90 times. I had only attempted this twice with a ridiculously large one year gap in between, Indiegogo tried one project 90 times.
That really perked me up and helped to readjust my thinking. Embrace disappointment; in it is the fuel required to try until you succeed.
Why did Indiegogo’s story affect me positively? After all, we’ve heard about Einstein trying 1000 times, JK Rowling being rejected gazillion times and even Oprah and Steve Jobs have had their fair share of disappointments. It’s because Indiegogo is a company I can relate to. They started with nothing but a dream that at least 89 people didn’t believe in and today they are where they want to be. It is easier to empathize with or be inspired by a person going through something you’ve been through. I don’t know what it’s like to have my work rejected by publishers 100 times, although I do draw lessons and encouragement from JK’s story, it is even more powerful when it’s someone or a scenario I can relate with.
If you haven’t done so, research personalities or companies that are similar to yours and use them for inspiration, it doesn’t have to be a famous story either. I am currently drawing inspiration from Michelle Obama because I read a quote that spoke to me in an area I was dealing with at that particular time. She is a beautiful black woman with high career and family ambitions like I have which is why she inspires me.
Inspiration is all around us, grab one as it passes by!
Have a truly blessed week!
