Are You an Entrepreneur - Canada is looking for you -Seek Rumi for Success
Are you a Pakistani entrepreneur looking to immigrate to Canada and start a new business? The words of Rumi, an 800-year-old Persian poet, offer powerful insights that can help guide you on your entrepreneurial journey. Here are some tips inspired by Rumi's wisdom:
Take risks: Rumi encourages us to set out on the uncertain waters of entrepreneurship, even if we don't know whether we'll sink or make it to shore. Don't wait for the perfect moment to start your business, as there will always be reasons to delay. Instead, take the leap and be willing to brave the challenges that come your way.
“Load the ship and set out. No one knows for certain whether the vessel will sink or reach the harbour. Cautious people say: “I’ll do nothing until I can be sure.” Merchants know better. If you do nothing, you lose. Don’t be one of those who won’t risk the ocean.”
here is never the “right time” to start a new venture. There are always reasons to wait, to do more planning, to allow technology to mature or market conditions to develop. Fundamentally prevarication is driven by fear, the desire to minimize one’s exposure to the painful experience of failure.
We must brave the ocean, to be terrified and go for it. As Rumi also advises: “Your boundaries are your quest.”
Create your own path: Rumi urges us to ignore those who doubt or criticize our vision, and to focus on unfolding our own myth. As an entrepreneur, it's important to believe in yourself and your unique perspective. Don't be satisfied with following the paths of others, but instead seek to blaze your own trail.
Rumi on innovation: “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
Surround yourself with supporters: Rumi advises us to seek out those who fan our flames and set our lives on fire. In other words, surround yourself with people who believe in you and your vision. These people will help you stay motivated and focused, and will offer valuable advice and support as you navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
Rumi on relationships: “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”
Don't give up: Rumi reminds us that the hardest moments can often be the turning point in our journey. When things seem impossible, don't give up. Instead, keep pushing forward and be willing to pivot when necessary. Perseverance and resilience are key qualities for any successful entrepreneur.
Rumi on perseverance: “When you go through a hard period, When everything seems to oppose you … When you feel you cannot even bear one more minute, NEVER GIVE UP! Because it is the time and place that the course will divert.”
Embrace disruption: Rumi notes that our ability to innovate and disrupt depends on keeping our windows open to the world. As an entrepreneur, it's essential to be aware of emerging trends and to be willing to disrupt the status quo when necessary. Don't become complacent and entrenched in your current model - be open to new possibilities and opportunities.
Often the biggest wounds or biggest crisis in our lives carry the seed of transformation. They drag us out of our comfort zone, forcing us to re-examine our closely guarded beliefs and prejudices and make way for new ideas and approaches to life.
Why do so many startups fail to reach the Tipping Point? In Geoffrey Moore (Crossing the Chasm) terms, they win the Innovators, they may even win the Early Adopters and even scratch the surface of the Early Majority. But then they fail to dominate the market and fizzle out. Invariably they are blindsided by a disruptive innovation they just didn’t see coming.
Be bold: Finally, Rumi encourages us to be fearless and daring in our pursuit of creative endeavour. Being an entrepreneur requires us to step outside of our comfort zones, take risks, and challenge the status quo. Embrace the unknown and be willing to take bold, unconventional steps to achieve your goals.
Rumi on just about everything else: “Run from what’s comfortable. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious. I have tried prudent planning long enough. From now on I’ll be mad.”
On the face of it this is a difficult one, being advised to “destroy your reputation”, to “go mad” would initially strike one as a poor course of action. But it is certainly true that seeking safety and comfort is unlikely to result in transformational success.
Being entrepreneurial is undoubtedly about living where we fear to live. Ask yourself whether you and/or your organisation’s reputation is fit for purpose, does it enable the desired outcome? If it doesn’t then what do you lose from destroying it?
And as for mad, well there is another interpretation of Rumi’s Persian madness, namely to believe in the power of creative endeavour.
As a Canadian immigration company in Pakistan, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with starting a new business in a foreign country. We're here to help you navigate the immigration process and support you as you build your new venture in Canada. With the guidance of Rumi's wisdom, we're confident that you can achieve success and create a bold, transformative business that will make a difference in the world.
