Finding that true north; When Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng started his ice-cream business on a bicycle, nobody including himself expected him to become Malaysia’s fourth wealthiest man
May 4, 2013 Leave a comment
Saturday May 4, 2013
Finding that true north
By CHOONG EN HAN
han@thestar.com.my
WE have all heard about the runaway success stories of entrepreneurs that made it big. Take Sara Blakely for example, the woman behind the success story of Spanx, in which she turned a US$5,000 investment into a billion dollar slimming bodywear empire.
The ones who made it always make the headlines but nobody knows how many entrepreneurs armed with game changing ideas that just fell flat.
That doesn’t stop people from going out on their own, but really, what does it take for one to take that leap of faith and delve into the unknown?My point is, if you have a great idea, there is no point in waking up one fine morning 20 years later pondering on “what might have been”. No amount of money in the world is worth more than being true to yourself. If you have a passion, just take what you love and make it what you do.
Do you think you have a great idea that could be turned into reality? Here are some thoughts to chew on.
The general rule for people starting off with a venture is to have a vision, set goals, and try to hit these perceived targets. Unfortunately, outcomes can’t be dictated by you but they are controlled by many external factors and environmental variables.
Although the ability to control is just a constant illusion, uncertainties are still shunned by businesses. Frankly, you just don’t really know how things will turn out until you reach that point in time when dreams have run astray. The greatest lessons in life are only learned the hard way.
But it is OK if outcomes can’t be controlled and not knowing what is in store. Instead, the excitement lies in embracing the uncertainty.
Not knowing what lies ahead is the awesome part of being a risk taker rather than being desk-bound and living life through monthly pay-cheques.
When Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng started his ice-cream business on a bicycle, nobody including himself expected him to become Malaysia’s fourth wealthiest man after dabbling with different businesses including a pig farm and plantations. In his own words, “All I wanted to do was to become a school teacher and ride a Vespa!”
I vividly remember during school days when we had to dissect the meaning of Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, and perhaps, for the young ones, this might just be your true north. When two roads diverge in a yellow wood, maybe the road less travelled might have just made all the difference.
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