I have always been frustrated with the restrictive climate and the negativity of government jobs where I spent most of my career. I loved my work as a scientist in Public Health because of its aura of exploration, discovery and opportunity to make a difference in the lives of citizens seeking answers and solutions to living a long and healthy life.
So often there were things that needed fixing and alarming trends that needed changing. Too often the prevailing politics prevented imperative actions, and the inevitable cutbacks in funding, personnel, instrumentation and real estate tied our hands.
I had so much to say, possibilities to offer, but no one was listening because I was just one of many voices down in the ranks consigned to the shadows.
It is hard to change the world under those circumstances, but I never stopped trying. I entered retirement with expectations that I could finally let the dogs run. I quickly became disillusioned by the reality of age discrimination and the ridiculous explanation that the reason you did not get hired or were not approved for a project was because you were “over-qualified.”
It was not lost to me that seasoned workers, recently retired or close to retiring, owned decades of life experience, business acumen and a network of contacts. I knew they were not ready to spend another 20 years curled up on the couch in front of the TV. Their wounds from years of following instructions from bosses who didn’t appreciate their insights and ignored their contributions have not yet healed.
So many unrealized passions shuttered and possibilities for improving society in some meaningful way abandoned along the career path.
When I allowed myself to think about what I wanted and stopped trying to clone myself as the image of the hiring managers’ ideal candidate, I discovered something about myself.
I possess an unconventional streak blended with a trace of insanity. I am someone that imagines how ordinary things could become extraordinary and I recognize that since life is filled with natural, beneficial risk, sometimes it is necessary and good to take a risk.
That to me is the description of a free soul, aka, an entrepreneur.
To me, an entrepreneur is an innovative individual that can create something new or different that impacts the world and even changes people’s lives. Pragmatically, it is someone that utilizes his mind, passions, assets and personal strengths not only to make life more fulfilling but to show others that they too can follow their visions and accomplish amazing things they had only dreamed.
A recent, uplifting tendency is that society is beginning to recognize that seasoned, senior entrepreneurs come already equipped with business and life experience, deep networks and a fundamental, core determination to work, create and shine well past the hypothetical retirement age.
While the rate of new businesses being started by entrepreneurs between 20 and 34 has actually been falling in recent years, the number of businesses created by older entrepreneurs between the ages of 55 and 64 is rising considerably.
These gutsy souls were not hampered by the age barrier or stifled by glass ceilings because they became their own boss and took charge of their own future. If you are wondering whether you would be a happy entrepreneur, here are some characteristics that might help.
Perhaps you never quite fit into the corporate culture, but you believe you have something important and meaningful to add that you can’t seem to let go. You may not excel in the traditional nine to five environs and long for flexibility even if it means working long and crazy hours to accomplish your goals. You want input into shaping the life you dream of living. You aren’t ready to stop asking questions. If you are a life-long learner that savors every ounce of knowledge you can unearth without ever feeling satiated, you could be an entrepreneur.
Choosing to enter the online workforce, is courageous. I know because I have decided to take the first steps to start an online business. Leaping out of the deep furrows I have carved for myself is daunting. My challenge is to reinvent my life without ignoring my responsibilities and making ends meet.
I am frightened that I might fail and awed by the possibility that I will succeed.
If you want to follow my journey, please visit my Face Book Fan Page, Become an Entrepreneur.
Once you visualize something astounding, there is no holding you back.
