Thanks for the post Eric. I enjoyed it on a lot of levels. I'm the founder of a new startup (http://cojourneo.com) where we're hoping to a help entrepreneurs deal with many of the issues you raised.
I really appreciated you prioritizing the "Inner Life." Our startup is actually funded by a former top VC, now life coach, Jerry Colonna who helps founders discover and develop their "inner life." You think you don't need an inner life until you are a founder of Etsy, General Assembly, etc. (his clients!) and you discover your resources aren't cutting it anymore during hypergrowth and you're at your co-founder's throat.
And, here's my blog post that also addresses how not to be "consumed" by your work. Perhaps some would argue that the answer is better "work-life balance," but I guess I subscribe to a totally different approach & paradigm altogether. As Jerry would say, "work-life balance is bullshit."
Thanks so much for sharing this reminder with us. As we entrepreneurs continue to aspire to build the extraordinary, we have to remember to keep our eyes open to the incredibly beauty of these more "ordinary" moments.
"it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst...
...and then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life..."
So true! Your comment really struck a chord with me. Amazing, how we stop treating each other as human beings in so many contexts: work, school, online, etc.
I really appreciated you prioritizing the "Inner Life." Our startup is actually funded by a former top VC, now life coach, Jerry Colonna who helps founders discover and develop their "inner life." You think you don't need an inner life until you are a founder of Etsy, General Assembly, etc. (his clients!) and you discover your resources aren't cutting it anymore during hypergrowth and you're at your co-founder's throat.
I think you would appreciate Jerry's blog: http://www.themonsterinyourhead.com
And, here's my blog post that also addresses how not to be "consumed" by your work. Perhaps some would argue that the answer is better "work-life balance," but I guess I subscribe to a totally different approach & paradigm altogether. As Jerry would say, "work-life balance is bullshit."
http://blog.cojourneo.com/post/23620551683/be-the-masterpiec...
This might sound crazy to some people... but, it's life to me. :-) Oh, and I'm a Christian too. We should touch base.