Amish People

There are times when I think people isolate themselves in their own little worlds. We go to work, come home, shop in neighborhood markets and associate with people that have similar believes and values that we have. In a way this is good because it creates a sense of security for ourselves and our children. However we need to realize that thee is a much bigger world out there and we need to keep in tune to what else is going on outside of our safe environment. This helps us teach our children that there are people that do not live the same way we do; but they need to be accepted. Teaching the skills of acceptance and tolerance will help to create a better world for everyone.

I was so busy living in our small world that I did not realize that there is a group of amish people that live about sixty miles from us. One day my family was driving to see a distant relative. As we were driving we passed two buggies that had amish people in them. My children asked why they were dressed so different and why they were in buggies. My husband and I began sharing what information we knew about the amish people. Our children could not believe that there was still a group of people that would live off the land and not use electricity.

When we arrive at the relative’s home our children were anxious to share that they had seen amish people on the drive over. The relative told them that there is a large community of amish people that live quite close to them. They shared additional information about their life styles. This was very interesting to our children. We found out that there was a store in the near by town that sold the quilts and furniture that was made in the Amish community. After dinner we drove over to the store. There were hundreds of quilts on display. They were all hand done and involved intricate patterns. They were quite expensive. The person at the store told us that the money raised at the store was used to buy supplies that the community could not produce themselves.

I am sure that there are worries and issues living in such a closed strict community, but there is something very appealing to me about such a simple live style. It is remarkable that in the world of high technology in which we live there can be a group of people that lives amongst us that does not use electricity.

Successful entrepreneur

Do you dream of quitting your day job? Do you feel an urge to succeed in business with just a good idea and a lot of hard work?

An unstable economy and rising costs makes most of us too nervous to consider such a radical move. Being a successful entrepreneur requires you have certain qualities and characteristics and a certain mindset.

A successful entrepreneur must have a little of the gambling spirit. You must be willing to risk losing your capital, while realizing the opportunity can also pay off in a big way. You've got to be willing to take the chance. You've also got to be a creative thinker, good planner, well disciplined and organized, persuasive and well funded. Of course, you also need a good product!

That kid selling lemonade on the sidewalk on a hot summer day is a successful entrepreneur. He or she is betting that a cold glass of lemonade will be appealing to a lot of people walking by. He must be sure he's got plenty of lemonade, cups to serve his product, a table and a box for his money to make change for his customers. This describes the entrepreneurial spirit.

Let's look at each element of a successful entrepreneur.

Do you have that gambler's spirit? Remember, if things go wrong, you stand to lose the capital you've invested. Can you accept such an outcome?

Creative, innovative thinking demands inspection of your idea from all angles. Sketch out a number of ways you might execute your plan. There's always at least several different paths. Look for flaws in each preliminary plan. A successful entrepreneur irons out the details before launching the project.

Which brings us to planning and organization: A successful entrepreneur knows the value of these skills. Try to anticipate the monkey wrench you might run up against. Do your homework, and do it thoroughly. You want to eliminate every possibility for failure due to lack of planning. You must be well organized and disciplined, with contingency plans in place when an obstacle presents.

If something doesn't work, you must have a flexible and objective perspective. You can't fall in love with one aspect of your marketing plan simply because you like it. You've got to be willing to give up what doesn't work, and go with what does work.

A successful entrepreneur must be able to persuade people to trust you and buy your product. You've got to be thoughtful, honest and artful to gain real credibility and trust. A charismatic and persuasive nature is another signature characteristic of a successful entrepreneur.

Do you have this marvelous combination of characteristics? It's all about making it happen. As a successful entrepreneur, you must have a fluid, innovative approach. When obstacles arise,as they surely will, you must be able to set your ego aside and be willing to “change lanes” at the drop of a hat.

If you can tackle your objective with these attitudes in place, you can be a successful entrepreneur!