By Sandra Gonzalez
Did you know that a formal education is not enough for personal and entrepreneurial wellness? In other words, to be a well rounded person and experience wellness as an entrepreneur we need more than just a degree or training. Yes, I agree with you, some skills required to be a successful business owner are most likely intrinsic or authentic to the individual and other skills need to be learned by attending specific training in management and/or business related programs. Many business owners/entrepreneurs start their journey after completing their college degree/masters in business administration, MBA. This is a formal way to gain knowledge in management, finances, communication and other business related topics. A formal education provides a great start and it is not enough; it’s only a piece of personal and entrepreneurial wellness. We need to be aware of and navigate different dimensions of life.
As multidimensional human beings, we navigate eight dimensions of wellness on a daily basis: intellectual, career, physical, social, existential, emotional, environmental, and financial. These dimensions are interdependent. Have you experienced feeling off in one of these areas and all other areas seem a bit off? I definitely have! Finding balance and resilience, the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness, is key for our personal and entrepreneurial wellness. Equally as important as wellness balance, is the ability to explore different dimensions outside our own Wheel of Wellness. What does that mean? It means we need to go out of our comfort zone to grow and learn. Most entrepreneurs provide a service/product. To better understand the audience we serve, we must step into different dimensions of life as we know it; this is what is called getting a holistic education outside of our formal training. How do we do this? We become aware of the different environments and the people living in those environments. Volunteering in a soup kitchen, spending a day in a child care or hospice, mentoring in a youth group, or hugging babies in a neonatal intensive care unit, NICU, etc.
Being aware and working toward balance in our own lives coupled with awareness of life unfolding in others lives, grounds and connects us with our deep inner Self. When we prepare for and start a business consistent with our personal interest or ‘Dharma’ (life’s purpose) we enrich our life and those who we come in contact with.
