I'm a fan of Jordan Peterson because of his reasoned, logical, realistic view on things.  He also has deeply contemplated how to live a great life and when he speaks, gives perspective at a level that most would never consider.  If you listen to his words carefully, they have deep meaning and will help you in your life.  Here are 3 videos of Jordan worth watching.

I was reading some verses from Proverbs the other day.  If you are not familiar with Proverbs, it is a book of practical wisdom for life from the Bible.  Not matter whether you are religious or not, there is excellent wisdom for life in Proverbs.

One of the passages I read struck me as great advice for life.  Here it the passage:

If you don't take the initiative to find the work you choose to do, you will in the end find yourself doing the work you are forced to do.

Read that a couple times and let it sink in.  Then ask yourself if you are doing what you have chosen to do and are focused on it.

In a society where  people are being incentivized not to work and in many ways paid not to, I cannot help but think how important this passage will come into play.  When you choose to do something, you are acting out of your own freedom.  When you choose the work you want to do and pursue it with vigor and integrity, it will bring you prosperity and freedom.  But, when you do not choose your work or choose not to work, you are not free.  You are beholden to the source you rely on to sustain you such as a government or other.  This means that in order to continue getting what they are giving you, you have to comply and do what they want and force you to do.   You are no longer free.

Choose your work and earn your freedom.

We live in a time where truth is increasingly hard to find.  Whether it is the latest headline or post on social media or a newsbyte - most of these are not true and many of them will take kernel of truth and use it to make a point that is not true.

What does this have to do with entrepreneurship?

We as entrepreneurs need to be truth tellers.  We are critical thinkers, seekers, and drivers of society and life.  We help to shape the world and its future.  Should that future be built on lies or half-truths?  I don't think so and I certainly hope you don't think so.  

So, with that in mind, what should we do to ensure we are acting from and on truth in our businesses and lives?  First, we must develop or solidify our principles and convictions.  We must draw our lines that we will not cross for anything.  A great example of a set of principles and convictions is the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution.  This document clearly defines rights and principles - truths that must not be violated by anyone, not an individual, government, or any other entity.  As entrepreneurs, we should develop our own "Bill of Rights" of sorts that defines the principles we will live by and govern our lives and business by.  

Next, we must take the time to seek and find the truth when communicating and putting things out in the world.  For example, you may see a headline or post online that you believe confirms something you thought was true and use that as a way to solidify your position - but how do you know it is true?  Do you do the diligence to find the source or author and see what their agenda is?  Can you get to the root of where it comes from to make sure it is indeed true?  We must.

If you commit to follow a set of solid principles and convictions and do the work to seek the actual truth putting the full picture together prior to sharing it, you will make a much bigger difference in the world.  And you will be able to better sleep at night, knowing that you are doing what is right.

Seek the truth and live from principle and conviction.

There are some things you can do for your success that have a big impact and make a big difference for you and those around you.  One of those things is to understand you personality type and the way you think and how that relates to others.

And you cannot do this just once.  A lot of people will take a personality test once and then think everything will stay the same 10 years later.  That is not the case.  We are constantly adapting and evolving ourselves and learning new things.  

For example, many years ago when I first took a personality test, it gave me a lot of confirmations on things I knew about myself, but it also showed I had low empathy.  I then began to learn about how to increase my empathy outwardly and use it in my life and business.  So over many years, the results of the test changed for me because I was teaching myself to get better in areas I needed to work on.

My favorite and most widely used test for understanding self is the DISC test.  This test has been around for 100 years or so and is easy to understand.  It will show you where you rank on the 4 personality types, D-I-S-C.  It will also show you how to interact with the other personality types and pitfalls to look out for.

But, as stated above, you should not take this test just once.  You should schedule yourself to take it every year as part of your personal growth and development.  You will be surprised at how many things stay the same, but also surprised at how some big things change over time.  

There are a lot of different DISC tests out there and it's worth it to use a paid version, $50-70 or so.  But there are free ones you can use to get your started.  Here is a link to one I've used before:

https://www.onlinepersonalitytests.org/disc/​

Take the test and see where you come out and then use the results to better yourself and improve the relationships with those around you.  It will make a big difference in your success and your life!