Today we are examining “Advice” by Langston Hughes and Its 3 Lessons for Entrepreneurs. Langston. Poetry is a great way to learn lessons in a more relaxed way than traditional learning methods.
Let’s start by checking out the poem.
Advice by Langston Hughes
Folks, I’m telling you,
birthing is hard
and dying is mean-
so get yourself
a little loving
in between.
As stated above, this great poem has 3 lessons for entrepreneurs. These lessons are:
- Life is hard.
- Everything ends.
- Everyone deserves happiness.
Life is hard.
The first of the lessons for entrepreneurs found in this poem is that life is hard. The narrator says it right at the start. She states that starting at birth and ending at death, life is hard. The narrator doesn’t sugar coat it. She says it clearly and to the point.
This is a lesson that entrepreneurs need to learn and understand. Many people think it is easy to be an entrepreneur. They think that entrepreneurs get to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Those of us who are entrepreneurs know this is far from the truth. Entrepreneurs must serve their businesses, take care of their employees, and be good to their families when they get home. Entrepreneurship is far from easy. It is rewarding yes, but it is definitely hard work.
Everything ends.
The second of the lessons for entrepreneurs found in this poem is that everything ends. The narrator refers to dying as “mean.” There are so many things this phrase can mean. Most assuredly, whatever death is, it is an end. One thing is certain and true, death eventually comes to everything.
Entrepreneurs would be well served to remember that everything ends eventually. This includes businesses. Most entrepreneurs run businesses that are smaller in size than the average Fortune 500 company. In fact, most businesses in the United States are small businesses that go out of business when the owner dies. It is a good idea for entrepreneurs to create plans for what will happen with their businesses once they die or choose to walk away from the business.
Everyone deserves happiness.
The third of the lessons for entrepreneurs fond in this poem is that everyone deserves happiness. The narrator advises that people should find some happiness where they can. She says that being born is hard as is dying. She encourages people to find love between birth and death. These words make me think that everyone deserves to find some happiness.
Entrepreneurs would be wise to follow this advice. Too often, people glorify working non-stop from birth until death. Hashtags like #teamnosleep and #hustleallday are used to encourage entrepreneurs to work from sun up to sun up. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to ignore their families as they grow their businesses. Instead of being told to work towards happiness, they are told to work, period.
Instead, I would like entrepreneurs to follow the narrator’s advice and look for happiness. Life is too short to spend without happiness. At the same time, life is too long to live without happiness. In addition to everything else an entrepreneur does, she must find happiness along the way.
Check out “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and 3 Lessons for Entrepreneurs
The poem “Advice” by Langston Hughes has at least 3 lessons for entrepreneurs. These lessons include the fact that life is hard, everything ends, and everyone deserves happiness. These are good lessons for every entrepreneur to learn and appreciate. Take a moment now to reflect on these lessons. How can you put them into play in your business? Be sure to share your ideas in the comment section. You may help someone find a breakthrough.