I mentioned a few days ago how Leonardo Da Vinci was one of my childhood heroes. And, he not only amped up my interest in science and painting- but in poetry. So, telling you that Edgar Allen Poe was among the first poets to pique my fancy should not surprise you. (I am talking about The Raven, But to be honest, while Annabelle Lee is also among my favorite poems, my heart belongs to to the sublime e.e. cummings…) But, I digress.
Today is the first day of the month of the flood (as “mourned” in my religion). The month of Cheshvan is the month where the rainstorm managed to cover the Earth with water. 365 days later (one solar year- not a lunar year, which was the normal calendar mode of the times), the water had receded and the land was dry. Noach (Noah) wanted to know if it was safe to exit the ark. So, he sent out a raven.
Why would Noach send out a raven? Because a raven searches for carcasses. And, given that the flood drowned the world’s inhabitants, should the floodwaters have receded, there would be an abundance of carcasses. But Noach’s raven simply refused to travel- it circled the ark and returned.
Now, the raven is also a very intelligent animal. But, also likes to stay in comfortable environments (the ones it knows well). Which is really why I really am discussing ravens.
You see, many of us are just like the raven. We are, after all, intelligent beings simply looking to find our way. But, many of us prefer to stay in comfortable environments. Even though we want to start our own business, our own venture. But, it’s scary outside the comforts of our lives.
We are afraid we will fail. We are afraid folks will point to us with ridicule or scorn. But, most often, it’s because we have the ideas, but not the internal strength to act on those impulses.
I’m here to suggest we simply try our hand developing our ideas into a reality. To produce a budget and plan, knowing in advance how much it will take (that’s both time and money) and jump into the fray. However, we need to ensure that our budget is firm- and we will watch our expenditures carefully.
We will either make it a great success or we won’t. But, we can’t let our business idea become a money pit. And, when we go for the brass ring, we shall, most importantly, learn great things about ourselves, our ideas, and our abilities.
I’m looking forward to hear about your adventures. I’ve been describing mine for your for years.
Love how you wove the raven theme in here. I studied Poe in college. Annabelle Lee was my favorite.
Another Anabelle Lee lover!
And, you know by know, that straight lines are in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, when it comes to me, Marcia!
SO encouraging!! I love it! I can relate to the fear and to the wish that I could send out a raven. 😉
Here, I thought, Jeanine, that you would rely on a kitsune and not a raven 🙂 !
Two friends and I started a publishing house. We consulted a lawyer, who pointed us to what we needed to do and where to find what we needed to know. I was designated the business person (heaven help us!), so I researched and wrote a partnership agreement. We were going to begin by publishing our own books, beginning with the ones left “orphaned” when our publisher went out of business. Even so, I researched and put together a contract for each book, which we had to sign before our book would be published. We’ve gradually, slowly, built up our list. We’re still very VERY small, but we’re breaking even after just a few years. In fact, I believe we each cleared $5 last year!
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That’s fantastic, Marian! I remember with fondness the date each of our firms crossed the breakeven threshold. May you have continued and growing success.
(By the way, here’s a great graph about breakeven…https://www.adjuvancy.com/wordpress/finance-dirty-word/ )
I like your message, try it and hope to make a great success…or not?
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That’s the spirit, Martha. But, I seem to recall you are well on your way already!
I’ve enjoyed reading about your adventures, Roy. I’ll share one of my upcoming adventures. Next month, I am going to participate in NaNoWriMo! I’m going to write a novel! This is outside of my comfort zone. I wrote articles. Sometimes, I write short stories. But something long and sustained, as a novel is, well, that’s an adventure!
Go NaNoWriMo! And, a novel! Those plans are exciting! Looking forward to hearing more, Alice!
I’m reading this about 25 years too late. I made a foolish decision to start a business with no real plan. I was motivated by a need to do something after I lost my son, and this idea came. I guess it was an expensive grieving process. I’m still trying to dispose of inventory I don’t want to have to list and sell or list for the IRS to give away. I did OK for the first few years, but in 2014 too many things happened at once that worked to change demand and my ability to process orders in a timely manner.
Barbara Radisavljevic recently posted..Escape to Beauty: Look Up to the Sky and Trees
And, you learned, Barbara! That’s what counts. and, get rid of that inventory. It’s doing no one any good- except perhaps a storage locker, if you have one.