Success Depends On When You Tell the Story

We understand history based on where we are in the progression of the story. Most tales of entrepreneurs overcoming massive adversity are not told mid-story. There's a good reason for this. If an entrepreneur came to you and told their story about how their manufacturer went belly up and their business partner over leveraged the business without partner approval, you wouldn't be amazed and inspired. Because that story isn't over yet. That person hasn't reached the climax of the story where they overcome. 

It's hard to know where a person is in their story if they haven't overcome the major obstacle yet. So many people quit halfway. So one person's failure might be the end of their story if they choose to walk away, while another person's failure is a springboard to success as they receive and process the feedback of their failed attempt. 

But we love the stories of the overcomer. The winner. The person who bootstrapped and now sells a million plus each year. That's amazing. We feel we can endure because of these people. Because of their stories. 

It's why I hate sharing my own story when asked. I haven't reached that point that will inspire and encourage. And so it sounds like life is just really really hard. I hate whining. When things are tough, you won't find me savoring that "woe is me" attitude that's made so many confessional and mommy bloggers famous.

No matter how much we need to give ourselves grace to fail and be human, I can't participate in the culture of failure that celebrates our failures and weaknesses and stops there. No, the failures and weaknesses provide us feedback, which we absorb to improve. 

Example: We moved to this property to homestead. I wanted to grow our own food to compliment the spring water feeding our house and land. But the business we owned has been a needy child. It has required more of my time than I anticipated, and the land has never had my full attention. And after three joy and pain-filled years, we no longer have goats.

This stage of our business requires all hands on deck, and more flexibility for travel than goats will allow. So I made the painful but practical decision to trade our Nubians to farmers we know and trust. Our girls are well taken care of, and they are part of a much larger herd now. 

That's sad in a way, because it feels like a setback. My ultimate goal of establishing a comprehensive permaculture design around our "forever home" is now on hold. We are ramping up two business ideas with the full intention of running them both in addition to the business we already have. There's a legitimate goal we've set out to achieve, and achieving it would mean a different story for the rest of our lives. 

But I can't tell you how we overcame disappointment and adversity to arrive at our dream destination... yet. But I will. Even if the dream changes yet again along the way.