The Emotions of Business

I had always figured that business was all about numbers and data. Becoming an entrepreneur was proving to be more of an emotional journey than I had ever imagined. I was by schooling and profession a logical, reasoning, “Let’s just deal with facts,” kind of person. Yet the further I pursued my entrepreneurial dream, the more I had to deal with my emotions and the feelings I was experiencing. Yuck.

It turns out that chasing one’s dream is really kind of nightmare. The ups and downs of victory and defeat in building a business is an emotional roller coaster ride. One minute you feel like squealing in delight and the next minute you feel like screaming in terror. The emotions can seem overwhelming at times.

As a lawyer I would advocate for clients with passion and emotion. But passion and emotion are tools I would pull out of my toolbox and use like a hammer to beat the opponent with, in order to win my client’s case.

As lawyers, we don’t dare subscribe to such sentiments for ourselves. We must after all, remain objective and logical if we are to serve our client’s best interests. Besides, the client often has more than enough emotions for everyone.

I wasn’t building a law practice or advocating for a client though. I had jumped off into the world of business. I was no longer the objective business advisor. I was the impassioned business builder.

Poets have always maintained that our passions lie within our hearts. I wondered, “Do lawyers even have hearts? Did I have one?

And then I thought of my family—and the emotional mess one often finds themselves in when it comes to family. An emotional mess we often embrace and hold on to with all of our might. Not because we are crazy, but because within that swirl of emotions, we find joy. I am not always sure how we do it, but it’s there.

I thought of my wife, and as the years go by how my love for her is less and less for any logical or reasoned justification—if these even existed in the first place. No, it was love that has kept us together. Specially, unconditional love, which more than any other kind of love, defies all logic and reason.

So yes, I was capable of embracing emotion and passion. I guess that meant I had a heart. If my heart could thrive in a family setting, surely it could so in an entrepreneurial one.

Love of life, love of one’s work, perhaps were like love of one’s family or one’s spouse. Sometimes, there isn’t a good reasonable explanation. Sometimes the joy is in just letting yourself love what is and screaming when you need to and squealing when it’s fun—even if it is business.