Keeping it in perspective

As players in the entrepreneurial game, we have it pretty easy. We sit at desks, coffee shops, or restaurants, while we do what we're defined by. We capitalize where others fail. We see opportunity when others see misery. And we don't need an 8.5 x 11 size sheet of paper; a napkin's fine. But when it comes down to it, we're not (hopefully) under pressure to make utility-maximizing decisions when time is critical, our lives are on the line, and groups of Serbian patrolmen are ready to shoot on the spot.

When Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady's F-16 aircraft was shot down over Bosnia, he made a decision that certainly saved his life. Knowing that the enemy would be closely monitoring the radio frequencies, he did not immediately radio for help after ejecting from the plane. O'Grady literally held his breath as he hugged the ground while Serbian troops scoured the area for the pilot of the aircraft that had just plummeted into their land. He ate and drank little, yet still maintained mental dexterity. He was eventually rescued from the location by the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

O'Grady's story is proof that the entrepreneurial spirit transcends all industries, ages, and even time itself.

And I knew I recognized him. He sat opposite a friend at the two-chaired three-top table ten feet from mine. There was some doubt in my mind, but the strong chin line and military demeanor gave him away. And I wasn't about to walk out of that restaurant without saying thank you to the man who's story inspired me to seek out the cockpit for myself.

So I shook hands with Scott O'Grady, a man whose planned and meticulate conduct once saved him from sure death.

And funny enough, he was warm. It will forever escape me how a man who once covered his entire body and face with camouflage and sucked the sweat from his socks as hydration has remains completely humble. He calls the "true heroes" the Marines who rescued him, maintaining that he was only on a six-day campout while he awaited extraction.

So in the spirit of the holidays, may we employ the entrepreneurial spirit in all we do. Instead of complaining about our parking spot three miles away from the mall entrance, perhaps we should be thankful for the legs we have to make the walk. Or for the time we have to contemplate our next startup. And when others fume over the long holiday wait at the restaurant, we can strategize on a folded napkin, being thankful that a meal awaits.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_O'Grady

Hi.

Living life like no one else will...so that you can live it like no one else can...

This blog is dedicated to the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
It's an aggregation of the things, places, feelings, events, people, and experiences that make up the entrepreneurial spirit.

Whether you run a billion dollar venture fund or you're just someone who thinks that would be cool; the CEO of your own company or the head of the mailroom; entrepreneurship isn't bound by social status, wealth, or fame. It's not a table reserved for the high-ups. It's inside of everyone. If you've ever felt it, or think you want to, this blog belongs in your bookmark list.