How Spirituality Helps New Entrepreneurs

Written by Akemi Gaines - 28 Comments
Categories: happiness, money and finance, philosophy

entrepreneur-spiritualSome people consider worldly success, such as success in entrepreneurship, to be incompatible with spirituality.  “It’s a dog eats dog world.” they’d say, “If you want to succeed, you do whatever (dirty things) you must do. Then you dress up and go to church on Sundays.  If you want to embrace spirituality full time, stay in the convent, or at least stay in the clean low-paying job.”

I disagree.  In this article, I want to show you how spirituality can help new entrepreneurs in two major challenges they face in starting their own business.

For the purpose of this article, I am defining spirituality as our awareness of higher purpose and power.  That invisible something that transcends us as individuals.  I am not affiliated with any organized religions.

Spirituality offers sustainable motivation

I find it quite dangerous that so many people want to become their own boss because they hate their current jobs.  They want to escape from what they hate, be it the boring job itself or the demanding boss or the work environment.  I don’t say this is no good for moral reasons.  If you don’t like something or someone, then it is so, it’s not good or bad.  I find it dangerous because the escape mentality doesn’t offer any sustainable motivations.

You see, it’s actually so easy to escape.  If you have been tied to your job for many years, and you have been brainwashed in years of education prior to employment, you may find this hard to believe, but it really is so easy.  Too easy, in fact.  You step out, and the escape is done.  Then you are left with no real motivation to build your business other than financial need.

When you start your business to live your purpose and share your love, on the other hand, you have clear and sustainable motivation.  You know what you want to do, and you have the sense of direction where you are heading.  Your vision and love motivate you and help you endure the down times that most entrepreneurs have to go through.

Spirituality helps improve the quality of service

Let’s say the guy who escaped the job he loathed finds a nice business idea and figures out how to start his business.  So he is an entrepreneur now.  His motivation is to make money (and maybe become famous along the way.)

Of course, making money is essential in entrepreneurship.  If you don’t make enough money, you go out of business, and you are not an entrepreneur any more.  The catch is, when you focus only on making money, on what you can get, you become absent in the core of your business, that is, your products and services.

In contrast, when you start your business because you love what you have to offer and you want to delight your customers with your products and services, you naturally pay attention to how you can improve your service even more.  You give great value to your customers, they appreciate the value they receive from your business, and the money flows back to you as a result.  The customers even bring in their loved ones to you because they love what you have to offer.

Marketing becomes tremendously easy when this flow is established.  Even if you are shy, talking about your service becomes enjoyable because you love what you offer.  Your confidence is communicated, and people will pick up your passion.

How it worked with me

I know firsthand how spirituality can help entrepreneurship.  I didn’t particularly hate my corporate job.  In fact, I liked it because it offered me opportunities to work with many people in and outside of the company.  And it paid pretty well.  I would not have left there if I didn’t believe I could help more people live better lives.  The sense of service has encouraged me and sustained me through the early struggles as new entrepreneur.

And I love thinking about how I can make my service even better, more interesting, and more available to my existing and potential clients.  In fact, large chunk of my time goes into that part of business development, which is also the study of personal and spiritual development, and I know I am investing my time well.

Starting a new business is a leap of faith.  It is a jump into the unknown.  Once the initial excitement and the feeling of freedom subside, you are left with all kinds of challenges from making sales to recording them in the book and doing the actual work.  It is so easy to be caught up with the superficial problems and get discouraged.  This is why so many new entrepreneurs quit before they succeed.   I really don’t think I can go through all these day in and day out without my spirituality, without the power that transcends my ego.  My gratitude goes to the god of my understanding.

About the writer:  Akemi Gaines writes for Yes to Me  – Spiritual Healing and Growth for Greater Success.  She is a new entrepreneur herself, serving people who are serious about personal and spiritual growth through her Akashic Record Reading. You can subscribe to her blog here.

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  • http://www.healthmoneysuccess.com Vincent

    If the real reason to quit the job is to just escape the boss. Than the start up won’t be successful because the reason of starting the business is a really a very good one.

    Cheers
    Vincent
    Personal Development Blogger

  • http://timelesslessons.com Valeria | TimelessLessons

    Akemi, my heartfelt thanks on writing this summarized post. It’s these calming, inspiring and life-changing posts that I look forward most at pickthebrain.

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    Vincent,
    Glad you enjoyed the article.
    Good luck to you!

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    Valeria,
    I’ve thought about this relationship between spirituality and entrepreneurship a lot — not many bloggers seem to write about it.
    If you enjoyed this, you might like my bog Yes to Me, too ^_^

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    This post is like the summarized essence of my own blog, Yes to Me. Helping people realize the seamless connection between spirituality and success is my mission.

    If anyone has questions, please write in the comment. I’m subscribed to the comments and will make every effort to answer them.

    Blessings,

    Akemi Gaines

  • http://www.retrix.com Julian

    REALLY nice blog post! I’ll subscribe to the Yes to Me right away!

    Have a great day Akemi. I wish you all the best!

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    Julian,
    Thank you! I appreciate it.

  • http://ehow.com jennen2

    I really digg this because it is… quality should come first and the money will follow.

  • http://www.road-2-nowhere.com Marilyn

    I really appreciated this piece and agree with it’s sentiment. I’ve been an aspiring entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, but only recently, since I’ve found a higher level of spirituality, have I had real momentum towards my entrepreneurial goals. My heightened spiritual awareness has given me greater motivation and inspiration. It feels amazing, I’ve got to admit.

    Keep up the good work!

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  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    jennen,
    Glad you like this. Quality and value are keys in every business.

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    Marilyn,
    Thank you! I’m glad to hear of your spiritual growth and your progress to sound entrepreneurship.
    Good luck to you, too.

  • http://www.liveforimprovement.blogspot.com/ Live for Improvement

    People think that money brings happiness, but in reality it is the happiness that brings money.

    -Dan Malone-

  • See For Yourself

    I agree with this article as I’ve been helped tremendously through Scientology’s applied philosophy. I know some people here don’t want to hear that but it is true.

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    “Happiness brings money” I like that!

  • http://yes-to-me.com/ Akemi – Yes to Me

    I don’t know much about Scientoplogy, but I’m glad it helps you.

  • http://www.2knowmyself.com farouk

    i strongly agree with you

  • http://www.freedomeducation.ca Stephen Martile

    “You give great value to your customers, they appreciate the value they receive from your business, and the money flows back to you as a result.” ~ Akemi

    I couldn’t have said it more perfectly. “Green energy” always follows service, never the other way around. Well said.

  • Frank

    I became my own boss to liberate myself from what I considered a life wasting system (traditional jobs where I felt more like a slave in cage than a free human being).

    In a sense, hate and rage against employers and traditional jobs is at the origin of my decision… and I don’t see a problem with it.

    Now I focus on offering good services and products to my customers and it’s all good.

  • http://yahoo.com jorge(twin)

    I never knew how spirituallity can really help someone in the entrepreneur world, and I’m glad it has to most of us. I myself want to become an entrepreneur and as I head out to the real world I asked myself, “will I succeed in the future, will I become my own success or will I fail”. Eventhough I know your post have help me to inspire myself in a spirituallity way that will help me in the future. I hope for success in my future which will become present in the years to come.
    Great Post By The Way!!!!

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  • wildthing

    If it helps one get rich it might be worth it.

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  • http://www.practical-spiritual-healing-guide.com Rev Della

    I have been an entrepreneur for many years and I have used spirituality as a foundation for my business. I do prayer work to attract the right and perfect clients, to earn a specific monthly income, and to be a blessing to those that I serve. I do corporate training and I always do prayer work before I create any programs and also before I actually teach the class. I also have an intention to be open to Divine Mind so that I can say and do the perfect thing to make the program a success for all concerned.

    As a Minister, in addition to being an entrepreneur, I apply spirituality to everything I do. I find that I am able to achieve greater levels of success by doing this, than if I operated my business without taking the Divine into the process.