New Journey

To my eight followers,

Please do not have a heart attack when you see that I have posted something on this blog again.  I have a true and serious concern for your health and would hate to be the cause of any physical or psychological damage.  1 1/2 years ago, I began a journey to fulfill a lifelong goal of mine.  I decided that I needed to become an example to my children and pursue my post-secondary education. Through the glorious being called the internet, I am able to work towards my Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree with a focus on Entrepreneurship.
This semester I am taking an Introduction to Entrepreneurship class and am required to post my thoughts, insights (if I have any) and feelings on this blog.  I hope that some of you will endure this journey with me as I begin to explore the path that I am on and figure out the road that I want to take in the future.
As my course begins, I have been able to read some articles by some incredible businessmen and successful entrepreneurs.  There are two major points that I have taken away from these readings and videos.  They are as follows:

1 - Invest in yourself

When I was teaching music, I would silently giggle to myself whenever people would tell me that they wanted to learn how to play the piano so that they could play the piano when they were older.  There is no such thing as a finish line when it comes to learning how to play the piano.  Becoming a musician is a constantly changing thing.  There is no finite ending.  You do not get to wake up one day and suddenly say that you are a pianist. You have to constantly work, practice and learn about music in order to keep your ability of musicianship.
I have learned that this is the same as the concept of being an entrepreneur.  You may have the talent and the fortitude to start a business, but you need to constantly be improving upon yourself to become better.  You need to be constantly studying and learning so that you can increase your capacity to be effective in the market and in your life.  Investing in yourself and increasing your knowledge, talents and marketability are necessary in the workforce and crucial to leading a rich and fulfilling life.

2 - Make good friends

Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. - Colin Powell

Throughout my life, I have lived with this saying in mind.  I have understood the importance of surrounding yourself with people who want to make you be better.  Whenever I have wanted to develop a skill or a talent, I have sought the company of those whom I consider masters of that talent.  In watching my videos and doing my readings for the lesson this week, I have learned that this concept of having good friends is crucial to my success as an entrepreneur.  I have understood the importance of networking but didn't understand the role that integral friendships within my inner network would serve should my integrity or ethics be called into question.  I have also learned that a personal relationship with a master of business is not necessary in order to establish a friendship.  I now understand that my love of the books "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by  Robert Kiyosaki have established a friendship based on his philosophy even though we have never met.  The importance of having good friends goes along with the first point that I learned, invest in yourself, and I believe these two philosophies are the beginnings of a solid foundation on which to build a career as an entrepreneur.

As I begin this course, although it is not going to be what I had envisioned it to be, I am excited to learn more about myself.  I hope that this course will guide me along the path that I have chosen and help me to determine whether this path is the correct one for me and my family.