Passion, Pressure, Perfection

I've been feeling restless over the past 24 hours. I keep jumping, pacing back and forth, starting a blog entry (then deleting after) and a lot of unusual things like creating a business plan in one night (if you call scribbles, outlines and doodles a business plan). Must have been because of the business/entrep summit I attended yesterday.

Passion is contagious. Passion with direction is even better because it moves you to act. The way the speakers described their life story, triumphs and successes was indeed genuinely overwhelming. And I won't deny that I was envious, a bit. Some had it the easy way because they are already the sons/daughters of the rich and influential; some had to start from nothing. But the it's passion or in Jim Collins' words - your Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) - that keeps you moving forward regardless of a 400 million peso debt or hundreds of rejections.

I really felt pressured because I also want to be "great" like them. There is that invisible need to prove yourself, to achieve something significant as they did. Some of the speakers are young but they were able to help a community, change a system and influenced followers to dream of a better world. I felt more pressured when I realized that a lot of these great ideas came from my school mates in Ateneo. Legitimate social entrepreneurs! If they can do it, why can't I?

I don't know why but if you ask what inspires me, (without trying to sound arrogant) I'd answer: perfection. Yes, you heard that right and yes, it is also unattainable. But maybe that's the exact reason why I aim for it. There's always a need to continuously outdo your yesterday self. Like one of the speakers mentioned, compete with yourself. Magis - being your best so that others can be their best.

I have lots of ideas in my head and I can't execute it alone because some of them are very ambitious (like my bamboo farm that I've been dreaming for years), some are not within my expertise and others will require a business partner to successfully operate. Because of this, I'm looking for a business partner with a high entrepreneurial drive! And it has something to do with Manila Kid. If you're interested to know more about it, please please please don't hesitate to email me at neilpalteng@gmail.com! Hope to hear from you soon!