Hi Dylan!

> I’m Dylan 22 yrs old.

First things first, you need to disregard any comments anyone might make about your age or experience. At 19, I made more money than my Dad, and was in management at a major retail store.

What you think of yourself is what counts. Don't let anyone else color that picture for you. Your life is your coloring book - not theirs.

> Having read few motivational books and
> reading most of the post from this great
> forum, I’m just wondering:
> - does successful entrepreneurs /
> businessmen have similar characteristics,
> habits or principles?
> - Is it important to cultivate them?

Yes, it is important to cultivate good habits and principles. Success is not one huge cataclysmic event. You do not just wake up one morning and find that you are a success. The same applies to failure.

Success comes from doing the right things every day. Failure comes from doing the wrong things every day. Whether you are a failure or a success, you can change that by changing what you do with your every day. You get to choose that.

So, it falls into place that developing good habits is a good thing.

I read a story once about a man who shared a childhood memory. As a boy, his Dad had told him that every time he sat down to do his homework, he should sharpen his pencil first. It became a habit. As an adult, he found that all he had to do was sharpen a pencil and he was in the frame of mind to buckle down and work.

Athletes train their bodies. Business people need to train their brain. : )

> I would love to start my own business and
> start on the entrepreneur path, but it seems
> like something is lacking inside me. Is
> there anybody who share the same problems
> with me and how did you conquer them?

I know of many, many successful people that did not read one single "success report" or "how to" manual.

There is one thing that you, and I, and everyone on this forum share. Go look in the mirror. That person that you see looking back at you is both your biggest problem - and the solution to all your problems.

Dylan, many marketers look at business like a war. They talk of guerrilla warfare. Of being ruthless. Of defeating the competition.

That's all baloney. Sorry to be so blunt - but it is. Business does not follow the laws of physics or the rules of warfare.

Business is about cultivating relationships with people. As such, it is more closely equated to the laws of nature. Think of the farmer that plants one seed of corn and gets back thousands. One small acorn that grows into a tree bearing thousands more seeds. The laws of nature say that you must plant first - harvest later. With patience, everything multiplies.

Dylan... look in the mirror. Ask yourself what is your passion. What do you love? what do you know? What are you interested in? That's your starting point.

Then, talk to other people that share your interest. Eventually, you will find a need that works with your interest. Fill that need, and you'll have a business that is both profitable and enjoyable.

You may change "what" the business is many times as your interests change. That's okay, too. I. personally, have worked in business administration, management, accounting, graphic design, copywriting, advertising and marketing. I have also taught evening classes in sewing, painting & computer basics.

Whatever you do, follow YOUR heart - not someone else's. Sincerity always shows - as does lack of it.

Success is not a secret. Success is a gift that others give you in return for what you gave them.

Good luck!

Linda




http://www.lindacaroll.com