“When you find your path, you must not be afraid.
You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes.
Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.”
~ Paulo Coelho

What this quote means to women entrepreneurs:
Have you ever been so frustrated with your business that you just wanted to give it all up? That happens to the best of us. But today’s quote counsels us to use that energy of disappointment, defeat and despair as guideposts to staying on our path.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for 16 years so far and I’ve discovered the following things about my path and how mistakes along the way have guided me to make interesting choices that sometimes seemed off the path, but always ended up contributing to the path:

• I’ve been an entrepreneur on the side and this has been both fun and frustrating. Fun, because I got to make money doing something I enjoyed. Frustrating because I didn’t get to do it more often.
• I’ve been a full-time entrepreneur and this has also been both fun and frustrating. Fun because now I got to do something I enjoyed for much more of the day. Frustrating because the income was not always what I wanted it to be.
• I’ve put my entrepreneurial path on the shelf and dedicated myself to a full-time job, which has also been fun and frustrating. Fun because the stress of always “hustling” for new business, clients, work was taken away, allowing me to breathe and relax. Frustrating because my special entrepreneurial projects didn’t get as much time as I wanted.

So how does all this fun and frustration guide you along your path? I’ve noticed that when I make the decision to follow any of the above given paths, it is more fun and less frustrating if I make the decision from a place on peace and connectedness to my highest good.

I’ve discovered that there is no shame in taking a break from owning a business and going back to work, just as there is no guaranteed bliss by giving up a job to pursue a business. And, sometimes your path will meander back and forth month these options as you pick up lessons along the way.

Now It’s Your Turn:
Do you agree with my interpretation of today’s quote? Why or why not? What are your thoughts on using your mistakes, disappointment, defeat and despair as tools to find your path? How do you make decisions to do your business full-time, part-time or not at all (for awhile)? Please share your ideas, experiences and sage wisdom in a comment below.