“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa got it right, a smile is an action of love.  As entrepreneurs we tend to only engage those we think can help us "right now".  Take a day and just walk around and see who is smiling. The larger the city with more people, the results of  this experiment will be  more dramatic.  Notice how few people walk thru the crowd with the glimmer or hint of a smile on their face.  As Americans we appear to be a totally unhappy society.  This lack of smiling extends to families sitting down for dinner and even church attendance.  In fact, the church is one of the  least "smiling" places you will encounter.

I challenge you to go out today and give a smile to everyone you encounter. Don't walk around with a big smile on your face all the time or you will simply look goofy. Use the smile just like you would use your voice. Engage strangers with a smile and watch the results.  Almost always you get an unexpected smile back.  In some cases the person will do a double take not expecting a smile. Give a smile to those you work with and they may think there is something wrong with you. (If that happens it should confirm you do not smile much.) 

You see as entrepreneurs and human beings we have an unlimited supply of smiles.  We can never run out. Use them as you would any valuable asset and watch the returns.  One benefit of a smile, is that it is virtually impossible to remain in a foul mood when you are extending the gift of a smile to others. 

Start giving out smiles with reckless abandonment and watch you own life begin to change right behind the smile. Remember a smile happens in a flash, but its memory can last a lifetime. 

Only fools and dead men don't change their minds. Fools won't. Dead men can't. "John H. Patterson

Some leaders believe that if they change their mind in business it is a sign of weakness or of a failed idea or policy.  Only fools and dead men do not change their minds in business.  Show me a person in business who will not change their mind and I will show you a person who has either quit thinking, quit listening, or whose ego is out of control.  

In the dynamic world of business there is a constant inflow of new data on which to evaluate decisions.  Sometimes the best data comes from employees in the midst of implementing a decision, strategy or policy. A wise leader is one who never quits receiving input on a decision that has been made.  This continued flow of data either further confirms the proper decision has been made or information that may lead to a course correction .  

If course corrections were not necessary in business, then leaders would not be needed. Great leadership is provided by men and women who can listen, evaluate and then change their minds moving on to something better for all involved.  Otherwise they may be looked on a either a fool or dead in their jobs. The leader who is vulnerable to change their mind to a better way inspires a collaborative atmosphere of decision making throughout an organization. 

"I can't do it" never yet accomplished anything, "I will try" has performed wonders. George Burnham

Too often I am around people that will quickly say "I can't".  To the serial entrepreneur these to small words are not in our vocabulary.  We have an insatiable  desire to always say "I will try.  It may be an over simplification, but the business world is made of those will try and those who quickly say I can't.  There may be many reasons for saying I can't but a primary one is fear of failure.  

The serial entrepreneur understands that while failure is always a possible outcome of saying "I will try", so too is success.  I would imagine that those who simply say I can't are the same people who always see the glass as half empty.  

I believe  success always starts with "I will try".  Without these first three little words so man or woman has ever gone on accomplish great things in life and in business.  I am sure it has happened, but I have never seen the person who started with "I can't" achieve anything .  

If you are one of those "I can't" people, it is never too late to strike those two little words out of your thoughts and move to "I will try". By doing so, you  have taken the first step towards an exciting adventure where failure is still a possibility, but you now have a chance to succeed. 

As you push your square rock uphill, remember each day starts with "I will try....."