7 Simple Business Lessons, Straight From The Fishes Mouth!

Every winter  I visit the creeks in my local watershed and spend hours scouting for spawning salmon.

The most spectacular part is when they jump the waterfalls at a local spot known as the Ink Wells( a series of natural wells, connected by raging falls when the water levels rise.) In the winter they are crucial breeding grounds for spawning salmon. In the summer… they are carefree swimming holes for homo sapiens.

At the falls, I have seen eager salmon  bash their heads against rocks in a bloody spectacle that always ends in an eventual stellar jump up to the next well…Sweet success… and a feat only granted to such amazingly persistent and determined creatures. 

They ALWAYS proceed with their mission as if failure is NOT an option! They jump at least three waterfalls all total here in my local watershed,  against the raging, thrashing currents in an effort to reach their DESIRED destination.

It's something I look forward to every year as it is AMAZING in every sense!

I have always said that we entrepreneurs have a lot to learn from the Salmon.

While masters in determination and persistence, these majestic creatures also possess the ABILITY  to conquer their mission of pro-creation by following their instincts. In their case, instincts don't equate to "going with the flow"…it means
moving along a  tough journey, swimming upstream against swift scary unfathomable currents, making almost impossible leaps up tall raging waterfalls.

They embark upon a journey that really DOES seem impossible when you actually see the obstacles they must endure.

Yet some how, they know! They know EXACTLY what time of year to leave the ocean, they know how far up the watershed to move, they know when to stop and wait for more rain or more silt to stir up(so they won't be spotted and picked off by hungry otters). This waiting period is referred to as "holding".  They hold in creeks for long periods waiting for just the right conditions to que them to move forward to their final destination, which can take weeks or months.

They wait for perfect weather condition, enough rain, enough current to help make their journey more seamless. It is NEVER seamless…there are always snags, obstacles such as huge boulders, and waterfalls.

Yet, they NEVER look back…they march on….

And HOW do they know exactly the route to get to where they themselves were born? They always return to their own birth spot in this massively HUGE watershed. They can spawn anywhere, but they return to their own birth spot. How do they instinctively know? Can they smell home? Some theories say yes, they can actually smell it.

Yes, creatures of STRONG intuition…and perhaps a great sense of smell too.

Creatures of great physical strength. When you see them close up, they appear to be PURE dynamic muscle! Powerful, yet swift!

Yes, these creatures are are well adapted to swim upstream against raging currents, to jump impossible jumps up raging falls and to build their redds (nests) of large rocks(which requires a VERY strong highly adapted tail). By the end of building, they have no skin left on their tails…their poor little  tails are down to pure bone.

The Salmon's ever impressive journey is made possible by these unique adaptions. Due to their strong muscular bodies….MOST of the journey is almost Zen for them it seems. While they have obstacles, hardships and challenges, their finely adapted bodies allow them to achieve their goals in most cases. Some don't make it, but those who do ..proceed as if failure is just NOT an option
 

They are driven by forces GREATER than themselves. They are driven by nature, by instinct, by the need to pro-create…to birth and bring forth NEW life. They are driven by the "collective" and by the assurance of the survival of their species. When making their journey, their focus is NOT solely on themselves….It is on the greater good……The impact they can make….The bigger picture.

I am so impressed with these strong, steadfast creatures, as they have the EXACT attributes that following a creative journey requires. Here is a list of the lessons I BELIEVE the Salmon offer us in our own personal journey to building a creative sustainable business and to live a passion filled life based on our calling!

1. When you use your instincts(your internal guide) it is easy to locate home and journey to your desired destination. This means listening to your voice that says "follow your dreams". You are always guided…you just have to listen.

2. Following your instinct when you are a creative soul is not always easy because it does not mean going with the flow of mainstream life or being status quo…it means traveling against the tide and facing obstacles and taking leaps of faith to make it up the most raging waterfalls as well as other large jumps.

3. Don't be afraid to leave your own ocean….."your comfort zone". Being willing to take that initial leap of faith, but also knowing when to "hold" leads success.  Timing is important, but NOW is the time to take that leap and leave the ocean so you can enter your own specific watershed…unique to you…your birth place where you can literally birth your CREATIVE business…The ocean will always be there and you can return to it, but the focus you need is outside the vast overly-stimulating ocean.

4. With persistence and determination even the mostly impossible feats become possible! As one of my own favorite mentors, Marie Forleo says…."Everything is figure-outable!"

5. While you will be faced with obstacles, difficulties and challenges on your path…..being well adapted for the journey is essential.  This means. knowing how to use your own mental muscle by learning how to effectively leverage your time energy and resources, so you too can find sweet success and reach your destination.

6. While you will experience challenges along your path….when well adapted and prepared…most of the journey should feel effortless and almost magical. (hard work is always involved in anything worth having in life)…but working smarter, not harder and finding your personal groove, allows you to move about in a Zen like fashion.

7. Just as the salmon are driven by the survival of their species and their GREATER good or impact…..We set ourselves up for success when we too are driven by the LARGER picture. Often our VISION is greater than ourselves as individuals….and when we focus on helping others, enriching other's lives, giving birth to creativity and the impact it will have on our communities and in the world….we are more prone to success. We are then free to operate as if we cannot fail…..because the focus shifts from us as individuals to the bigger VISION and what is possible! Our little mistakes along the way become insignificant, because we are focused on much BIGGER goals and we can for the first time get out of our own way!

By Freea Sarti

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