Have courage to lose sight of the shore

By TMC Admin on May 16th, 2009

Andre Gide is quoted as stating: “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

People are losing their jobs, previously stable companies have collapsed, and most people are losing confidence with the current economic situation. There are so many challenges that could threaten your business. However, every time there’s a perceived threat, it would be beneficial to ask the following question: What’s the opportunity here? It’s good to examine how you can adapt to your environment. An earlier post addressed the need for businesses to adapt, change, and improve: A clean slate: What if you had the chance to start from scratch?

Amidst all of these challenges, there is still a lot of undeveloped and unexplored territory. At times, it’s necessary to lose sight of the shore and get out of your comfort zone … then it will be possible to discover new oceans and opportunities. Do something “crazy” and unconventional to change your mindset. Damien wrote a nice post about this here: How and Why to Jump in a Freezing Pool

Some of the most notable innovations and developments were created around the time of the Great Depression: The construction of the Empire State Building, the Monopoly board game, cotton tampons, chocolate chip cookies, the electric dry razor, the supermarket, and the laundromat. (For more information about the stories behind some of these inventions, click here.)

Is there any uncharted territory that you have not yet explored? Maybe a territory has been explored before, but it is still not fully developed. Whatever the case, now is the chance for you to, not only prosper, but even make your mark on history … if you have courage to lose sight of the shore.

Categories: Business
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Damien

Really great point there. I like the metaphor of the shore. I remember going to Catalina Island and seeing one shore disappear as another appeared. For many that is what is happening. Thanks for the mention.