Freedom

Extract from the book "The Entrepreneurial Experience" by Richard Giannamore
Copied with permission.

When you are not stopped or constrained by fears, concerns or circumstances, you have FREEDOM. When you accept everything about you – all of your strengths and foibles – and are not concerned with other people’s assessments, judgments and evaluations, you have FREEDOM. FREEDOM gives you the ability to take action when you are not sure.

Most people are afraid to fail. They will do everything in their power to avoid failing. They are more concerned about how they will look to others if they do not do things right. They do everything they can to think ahead, figure things out and make sure they are not making a mistake before they take action. Sometimes they are so concerned about the "right thing to do" that they don’t ever get into action. They have no FREEDOM.

If you want to be very successful in life, you have to have FREEDOM, and that includes the FREEDOM to fail, to make mistakes, and not be at the effect of what others think of you. If you are protecting your "image" or "reputation" or if you are trying to prove your capabilities, you don’t have the FREEDOM to fail. Without the FREEDOM to fail, you don’t have real FREEDOM. Unless you have the FREEDOM to fail, it is very difficult to take risks. And without RISK, extraordinary results do not get produced. No one wants to fail, but when you are willing to risk failure – practice taking actions that may result in failure – you get access to POWER. "