Yes I Can!
Entrepreneurs believe in the Power of YES.
The Power of ‘Yes I Can’: Colonel Sanders
The success story of Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken aka KFC displays a level of persistence and the belief in the power of ‘Yes I can’ that few can match. Sanders was born in 1890 in Henryville, Indiana. His father passed away when he was just five and his mother worked in a tomato-canning factory. In 1902, Sanders dropped out of school, his mother got married to a second husband and he was beaten by his stepfather, this was when Sanders left home to live with his uncle in Albany, Indiana. At the age of 15, Colonel Sanders enlisted in the army; he completed service as a mule handler in Cuba and then, used his remaining early years to work a variety of jobs including an insurance salesman, boat pilot and farmer. When he was 18, he got married but his wife later left him as a “no-good fellow who can’t hold a job”. Colonel Sanders was 65 years old when he received his first social security cheque of $99. He was broke, and owned a small house and a beat up car. He made a decision that he has got to change. The only idea he had was a chicken recipe, which his friends liked. With that idea in mind, he took massive action. He left his home in Kentucky and traveled to many states in the US to sell his idea. He told the restaurant owners that he had a chicken recipe that people liked and he was giving it to them for free. What he wanted in return was for the restaurant owners to pay him a small percentage on the pieces of chicken sold. He got rejections after rejections, but did not give up. In fact, he got over 1000 rejections. He got 1009 no’s before he got his first yes. With that one success Colonel Hartland Sanders changed the eating habits of the whole world with Kentucky Fried Chicken, popularly known as KFC. Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a very well known restaurant in the world. It is rated at number 60 as the world’s most well known brand by Business Week. Sanders proved that age is no barrier to success, and so is capital. What is needed is an idea put into action and belief in ‘Yes I can’, followed with proper planning and persistency.
There is
great power in the word ‘Yes’. It means we agree, we commit, we accept, we
will, we can. The energy of No is a
resistance, and creates a block. Its okay by
all means to say No when it’s appropriate, although the power of saying Yes
to
the energy of acknowledging whatever it is that is showing up, can move
mountains.
Say yes because:
It makes you instantly responsible. Many entrepreneurs say no to new opportunities, ideas and so on — both at work and in relationships — because they don’t want the burden of responsibility that comes with saying yes. Responsibility is heavy, and it can weigh you down if you’re not careful. But responsibility can also be a doorway, a capacity builder, a way of strengthening your capabilities. As writer Joseph Campbell once said, “The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.” So learn to say yes more and accept the responsibilities and the journey that follows.
It gives you an opportunity to learn. One of the best pieces of advice ever for budding entrepreneurs, is to say yes first and then figure out later how to do what you agreed to. At first it may seem deceptive. How could you say yes to something you didn’t know how to do? But then you must realize that it would be an opportunity for you to learn to do something you haven’t yet done. You must reassure yourself that you are very capable, and you will find out what you need. Take the opportunity to learn what you need to learn in order to get the job done and get noticed.
It invites positivity. Saying yes can be an affirmation of positivity. It can mean that you have decided to say yes to hope, to possibility and to the potential for something better. Simply saying yes can mean you’re willing to give something a try. And when you invite that kind of possibility for something better, you invite a positive energy to permeate your life. As Gandhi reportedly once said, “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
It makes you learn that it’s OK to fail. Entrepreneurs usually are afraid of saying yes because they are scared of what will happen if something goes wrong. They ponder: What if I say yes to start a multi-cuisine restaurant and the food ends up tasting not up to the mark? What if I say yes to new responsibilities at work and I don’t do well? What if I say yes to a new partnership and it doesn’t work out? Constantly having these thoughts can be toxic. It will pollute your mind with the fear of failure. As an entrepreneur, you need to learn that you are trying your best to be successful, and everything will be OK. Even if you fail, you will have learned a lesson and can move on. It’s better to rather try and fail than fail to try.
Taking advantage of opportunities in life starts with simply saying yes to them when they come around. Saying yes to yourself also helps. Great opportunities often come from your own great ideas so don’t say no to them. If you’re negative about yourself, you’ll just limit your own options. This is not a good state of mind to be in. Opportunities are, by definition, short-lived. You need to be quick in order to get the most out of them. When you say yes, you can gain insight to new business opportunities you might not have thought about before. Saying yes can be a very eye-opening experience.
So say YES! Say Yes to opportunities! Say Yes to potential clients! Use the yes mentality to build the life you want. The joy, the freedom, and the money…it’s all there waiting for you to claim it