Swimming with the sharks in the business tank

All the pictures in today’s post were taken couple of years ago in beautiful Mallorca, Spain while I was an actual competitive swimmer and trained in a swim camp.

For those who follow me on social media, it is no secret that I love seafood, particularly Japanese Sushi. Couple of nights ago, I read an article about how the Japanese obtain the freshest fish with the best taste and this scientific article really influenced me a lot, especially in the situation I am nowadays. First a very brief excerpt from the article:

Fresh fish has long been an important part of the Japanese diet, but the challenges of meeting the demand was overtaxing the area’s waters. To solve the problem, fishing companies acquired bigger boats that could go farther out. But—as is often the case.—the solution brought with it a different problem. Longer trips to more distant waters meant the fish had to be frozen on the boats. But frozen fish didn’t suit the refined Japanese taste in seafood, and prices for the frozen fish quickly dropped. So it came to the next idea—installing fish tanks in place of the freezers. After a little thrashing around, the fish became listless and apathetic—and their lethargy, like freezing, affected the taste of the final product. Consumers were still unsatisfied, and the industry was in crisis. Then they came up with a brilliant solution to keep the fish tasting fresh. They added a small shark to each of the fish tanks. Fearful of the shark, the fish were constantly on the move—keeping them active and therefore fresh.

Just like those fish, I have already swam with the sharks couple of times not in my swimming career but in my entrepreneurial life. I sometimes am in situations where I don’t want to be, racing to stay ahead at whatever is squeezing me. But it’s not always  bad (well, at least not for me, —it’s hard to find an up side from the fish’s perspective, lol). Here are some of the benefits of being thrown in with a shark or two from my own perspective:

Sharks keep me fresh. To solve the challenges that face us, whether they’re everyday or extraordinary, means finding an innovative way to transform the source of the challenge. That’s a task that’s much easier to do when you can draw on the power of staying fresh, using new experiences to shape old ideas.

Sharks keep me engaged. Indifference is no longer an option. Every day is infused with your mission and the goals that will help you achieve it.

Sharks keep me challenged. Many people are mistrustful, even sacred of new ideas. They buck at the idea that something will be challenging. But as Entrepreneurs and innovators, we welcome challenges as they are the path to our greatest achievements.

Sharks didn’t let me quit.  Entrepreneurs have to be solid. Cowards never start, the weak don’t finish, and the real entrepreneurs never quit. The right challenges and engagement won’t leave you any room to even think about it.

Sharks keep me on the move.  As with the fish, a motionless existence comes with bad side effects. Entrepreneurship favors those who are on the move, those who take action, those who come up with creative solutions.

When you least expect it, life may send you a challenge to test your courage. The most successful people learn the up side of swimming with the sharks– they are ready. View your challenges with a fresh mind and discover what you can learn from them, because you usually face your greatest Opposition when you’re closest to your biggest Victory. Life is about keeping us fresh; It’s about being bold and staying ahead of the sharks. Because being challenged in life is inevitable, but defeat is optional.

Leave me a comment below and let me know what lesson from the shark stuck with you the most!