Movie lines that motivate the entrepreneur
Starting a business is hard. Yes, we believe that everyone should own their own business. Yes, it’s actually easier than ever before as the internet has changed everything. The average cost to start a business these days is only $6,000 – that’s extremely do-able!
But nobody ever said it was easy. That’s why we believe so heartily in creating your Life Plan before you put together a Business Plan. You see, in creating your dream life if your business fits into your overall plan for your life then you will much more likely weather the certain storms that come with entrepreneurship. Because nobody ever said it was easy.
Ok – here’s the tee-up for one of my favorite movie lines from one of my favorite movies,
“
If it was easy everyone would do it.
It’s the hard that makes it great.
Tom Hanks speaking to Geena Davis in A League of Their Own
This particular movie line is displayed prominently in my office. It reminds me that anything worth doing is going to have its challenges and that the key to success is embracing those challenges and persevering.
That’s where the life plan before business plan becomes an effective practical business strategy. If I enjoy what I’m doing, I’ll work harder at persevering. But if I’m only in it for the money, my enthusiasm will wane when I encounter roadblocks. Oh, maybe I’ll make it through the first several inevitable challenges, but ultimately even a talented entrepreneur will lose steam if they aren’t passionate about what they’re doing.
Do you have a favorite movie line or other saying that motivates you? I’d like to hear it. Post your comment below. It doesn’t even have to be especially eloquent as long as it comes from the heart. Just listen to Sylvester Stallone proposing to Talia Shire in Rocky,
“
Yo Adrian.
March 7th, 2006 at 9:37 am
This line from "Working Girl" has always inspired me…and it means even more now that I am out of corporate life and on my own:
[blue][i]You can bend the rules plenty once you get to the top, but not while you’re trying to get there. And if you’re someone like me, you can’t get there without bending the rules[/i][/blue]
March 7th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Mine is from the classic movie, "Tombstone," a treasure trove of great lines thanks to Val Kilmer’s Doc Holiday.
In one scene when Doc is threatened by a Cowboy, who says that Doc is too drunk to shoot straight and is probably seeing double, Doc replies, "I’ve got two guns. One for each of ya."
When problems seem to fly at you from every direction, think about this line.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:09 am
A classic that should be on everyone’s wall…from Godfather (one, of course).
Sonny: [blue][i]You’re taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very personal.
[/i]
[/blue]
Michael: [blue][i]It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. [/i][/blue]
March 7th, 2006 at 11:41 am
I’m not sure who first said it and it’s been repeated many times, but it’s one of my favorites.
"It took me 10 years to become an overnight success."
This is so true and should be an inspiration to anyone trying to accomplish anything - so keep working at it!!
March 7th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
My fave is from Yoda back in Episode V (that’s the second one for all us older entrepreneurs):
"Try not. Do - or do not. There is no try."
Spoken like a true (Jedi) master. Good luck all, Mike
March 7th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
The most motivating movie line for starting your business I can think of is Alec Baldwin’s line from Glengarry Glen Ross:
"First place is a Cadillac. Second place is a set of steak knives. Third place…is the door!"
March 7th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
- Strictly Ballroom
"Every man dies. Not every man [i]really [/i]lives."
- Braveheart
March 8th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
Shawshank Redemption, an incredibly compelling movie. I believe Morgan Freeman’s character "Red" has a line when referring to the mental state of an inmate when hopelessness seems to have set in:
[blue][/blue]"Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’"
[black][/black]I’m of the opinion that each and every one of us, no matter how motivated, has instances DAILY when we need an internally monologued pep talk. What better line than the above, written by the mastermind Stephen King.
Chad Durbin
March 8th, 2006 at 4:18 pm
"internally monologued peptalk"…I like that…I’ll be thinking about this Chad.
Fav line of this thread so far:
[i]"Try not. Do - or do not. There is no try."[/i]
This was a great exercise…there were a couple of things this week I didn’t want to address, now I have some renewed energy…thanks guys!
March 12th, 2006 at 5:15 am
[quote]But if anybody else wants to come with me, this moment will be the ground floor of something real and fun and inspiring and true in this godforsaken business and we will do it together! Who’s coming with me besides…"Flipper" here?[/quote]
- Jerry Maguire
and
[quote]Rod, think about back when you were a little kid. It wasn’t about the money, was it? Was it?
[Questionably]
Was it?[/quote]
- Jerry Maguire
September 21st, 2006 at 2:09 pm
From Grandma in Parenthood:
[purple]You know, when I was young, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride. I always wanted to go again.
It was just interesting to me that
a ride could make me so frightened…
so scared, so sick, so excited…
and so thrilled all together.
Some didn´t like it.
They went on the merry-go-round.
That just goes around.
Nothing.
l like the roller coaster.
You get more out of it.[/purple]