“We cannot allow ourselves to become servants to what we can’t change. We must determine to become midwives to what we can.”
~ John Malkovich as Edward “Blackbeard” Teach in Crossbones,
Season 1, Episode 5, “The Return”

What this quote means to entrepreneurs:
There is a famous serenity prayer that goes “Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Today’s quote goes a step further.

Sometimes, we want something so badly that we keep pondering it, working at it, worrying about it. And when that thing involves something we have no control over, it can drive us a bit nutty. We become “servants to what we can’t change.”

But no matter the situation, there are things about it that we can influence, we can change. A simple shift in mindset can transform us from compulsive needler of that we cannot influence into a “midwife to what we can change.”

Still not clear? OK. Let me be blunt.

If you want your world to change in some way, look for what you can do. Don’t focus on what you can’t do. Nurture your strengths. Grow your areas of influence. Bring forth that which you can create.

Make the decision to be someone who looks for opportunities and takes advantage of them. Listen for the knock of opportunity on your door. Open your mind to the possibilities.

This is the key to being a responsibly optimistic entrepreneur. You look for the blessings that come … and they are always arriving … and you manage your inner pessimist so that she keeps you from taking unwise risks, but doesn’t derail you from jumping at strategic risks.

Now It’s Your Turn:
Do you agree with my interpretation of today’s quote? Why or why not? How do you midwife the possibilities in your life and business? How do you manage your inner pessimist and empower yourself to take advantage of appropriate opportunities? Please share your thoughts and sage wisdom in a comment below.