History Repeats
No one knows what they’re doing, and in the beginning you are simply - bad. The journey of entrepreneurialism definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Finding a mentor that won’t rob you of what little money you already have is close to impossible. Don’t get me started hiring people.. So I read a lot. Books that I would hope would give me comfort and guidance in the people that I looked up to and their entrepreneurial journey and how they became successful. The people that inspire me the most and leave stars in my eyes are those that existed a century ago: John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and Napoleon Hill. Why? Although these men had amassed great fortunes in their lifetime, it actually wasn’t that. It was because they accomplished things at a time in history that lacked all of the luxuries that we have today, mainly, technology. There was no social media or internet back then – It was pure grit and persistence that resulted in their success. They were all innovators in their respective fields. They were the ones that changed the future of this country and I admire the hell out of them for that. Love them or hate them, they were brilliant. It is that brilliance that leaves me dazzled and inspired.
Going even further back into history, another person that came to mind was Alfred Nobel. Though he invented dynamite - more so to make mining and construction more efficient, it was a twist of fate that caused him to change his path and establish the Nobel Peace Prize. If you didn’t know it yet, it was due to a premature obituary in a newspaper that read, “The Merchant of Death is Dead”, and had accidentally named him instead of his brother, Ludvig. The article stated, “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.” Shocked, he realized his legacy would be one of death and destruction, and changed his life forever. A few short years later, he then drafted the Nobel Peace Prize to promote values of peace and progress. He completely transformed his reputation to one of peace and human advancement and even today, is celebrated for fostering global efforts in science, literature, and peacebuilding.
There is one book in particular I have read several times over by Napoleon Hill called, “Outwitting The Devil”, if you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend it. This book wasn’t actually published until 2011 - which is an even more intriguing story on its own. The reason this particular book was so fascinating to me was because many of the things that Hill wrote about in this book back in 1938, applies to so many things that we as a society are still experiencing today. If you listen to this book on Audible, it makes for an even more entertaining read as the characters play out their respective roles very well. Listening to this book, you have to remind yourself often that this book was written 86 years ago as current events today are certainly repeating. It just reinforced a truth that history indeed repeats itself. Perhaps this is why I look to the past to help me find clarity when I’m feeling disheartened, frustrated, or even lost. History leaves clues behind on how to advance humanity and innovate into the future. Look at Tesla Motors for example. Although the company was founded in 2003, Elon Musk later joined the two engineers that founded the company, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, and paid tribute to Nikola Tesla for his groundwork in electric power systems. Nikola Tesla existed in a time where innovation seemed to be at its peak along with the other gentleman I had mentioned earlier. Perhaps there are many innovations occurring today that I don’t know about – but to see the kind of innovation that these men accomplished is awe-inspiring. I, myself long to innovate something completely original for myself, for humanity.
XX,
Lisa, Founder