The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

June 20A Slow Walk

We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance, in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return,—prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdoms. If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again,—if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man, then you are ready for a walk.

Henry David Thoreau—“Walking” (1862)

You read a book like Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek and become convinced that you can have it all.

But then you look up, realize that you needed the four-kid workweek or the four-bedroom house with a mortgage workweek version, and that maybe having an entrepreneurial dream isn't in the cards for you.

But is that simply a lie you're telling yourself because it's easier than actually following your heart?

No, you can't simply drop everything. That's a given.

This is certainly not a call to ditch your responsibilities and be you. Dreams take plans, dreams require flexibility, waiting, taking turns, starting small, prioritizing, being okay with where you are right now—but maybe your current employer or spouse is more supportive of the idea of you chasing a dream than you're allowing for.

So, maybe you're ready for the first tiny steps on a walk.

Challenge Question

1. What might you be blaming for not following your dream?