We’ve all seen the image at one time or another. It’s a dragon, or serpent of some sort, seen in a circle swallowing it’s own tail. Admittedly, the first time I saw the thing, it was prominently adorned on the forearm of a rather chipper bartender in Kansas City who smelled remotely of Pine-Sol, cigarettes, and spoke of themselves in the third person…But, I digress.
This is actually the image of The Ouroboros. A mythical, symbolic creature, used throughout antiquity by various philosophers, religions and psychologists as a representation of entirely too many things to list here!
But I do prefer one of the oldest interpretations, by our dear old buddy Plato. For Plato, the Ouroboros represents the ultimate manifestation of “self-reliance.”
An entity that he describes as: “…(for) the Creator conceived that a being which was self-sufficient would be far more excellent than one which lacked anything.”
Now, this mean looking thing is certainly not going to be voted the official mascot of entrepreneurs, but it could certainly make a darn good case. The beast is seen to feed on itself, as the entrepreneur must look inward for the fuel of motivation. It’s cyclical nature is not unlike an entrepreneurs need to be flexible, and continue to refurbish their methods, strategies and efforts.
Bottom line, as entrepreneurs we are both friend and foe to ourselves. One hour we can be our greatest asset, the next our worst enemy. It is only the belief we hold in OURSELVES, that decides which side of the fence we fall on.
Believe.
All the best,
Jay Kubassek
