Practical Wisdom from the Entrepreneurs Creative Edge by William Reed

Heliotropism is a phenomenon first described by Leonardo da Vinci, the way in which some flowers follow the sun’s motion across the sky sunrise to sunset. In the daylight, they always turn their faces toward the sun. This is also true of the Sunflower (himawari), though the movement stops when the flower reaches maturity. Nevertheless, this flower appears to shine like its namesake, and certainly puts people in a sunny mood. In Japanese, people with a bright disposition are described as yōki (陽気 sunny energy), while those with a dark disposition are described as inki (陰気 dark energy). It seems that some people are also Heliotropic, naturally facing the light, while others are prefer to lurk in the dark. It is easy to tell the difference. It shows on the face, and reveals itself in the person’s conversation.

A song was written in 1930 that became a Jazz standard, On the Sunny Side of the Street, which represents the quality of being upbeat, cheerful, optimistic (http://budurl.com/jkue). Yet this song was written in the wake of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, just as the winter of the Great Depression was setting in. It would seem that instead of the media pall we have today forecasting economic collapse, we could use a modern version of such a song to keep people from slipping into a blue funk.

Pessimism reflects feelings of inadequacy and helplessness, and is the worst friend you can have. It is like a whirlpool, an energy drain on all who come close. By contrast optimism is like a wellspring, a fountain of vitality which energizes everything around it. Being positive is not a matter of pretending that everything is fine, but rather recognizing that everything is as you make it.

A great number of people now are finding their careers in upheaval, harder than ever to make ends meet, or even out of work. Yet if you let conditions drag you down, you are simply rehearsing the score for the next chapter of your life. If you find yourself in such circumstances, it is much better to use the change as an opportunity to appreciate what you have, and leverage your strengths to improve your situation.

Founder of Wealth Dynamics, Roger J. Hamilton defines Wealth as that which remains when all your money is gone. If the answer is “nothing,” then you are in a sad state indeed. Count your money if you must, but don’t forget first to count the other important things in life, your health, your family, your relationships, your talents, your reputation, your achievements. All of these can be leveraged and combined in ways that can help you find a new job, start a new business, or launch a new product.

The important thing is to leverage your strengths in such a way as to create value for others. One of the ways in which this value is recognized and rewarded is through money. How much better if this is money earned doing something you love, and making a positive difference through your work.

The Creative Career Path is the only sustainable path, because without a wellspring of positive energy lifting your spirits and motivation, no matter how favorable the salary and benefits, you will eventually get bored or stressed and burn out. This is the case for many who seem to have an enviable position, but inside are counting the days and ways in which they can quit.

The important thing is to stay sunny side up, not because of external conditions, but because it is the best way to be.

William Reed

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