The world provides an endless variety of choices surrounding who someone can be and

what someone can do, though many are trapped within the comfort of their own minds. A study with a focus on employee engagement explained how employees are indifferent about their jobs, as 65% of the U.S. workforce feels disengaged from their occupation. The study revealed, many are not unhappy with their status, yet are faced with a neutral fog that leaves no room for critical thinking or innovation (Harter). These people are categorized as those who need guidance and direction in the workplace, at home, and in their pursuit of happiness, in an inescapable cage where the key to freedom is self-discovery. Divulging upon oneself is beneficial to the quality of life and necessary for success in any aspect of life that lies beyond the common narrative. Self-discovery is what attaches purpose to someone's life, it is what gives someone a reason for living, and is the building block for gaining business advancement. The only way for a firm to stay relevant and economically profitable is by finding necessity in a targeted market, and discovering the mission of what is being created. Without assigning creation purpose, it becomes undefined, as reality is only defined and perceived by consciousness. If an entrepreneur wants to start up a business, the first step to be done is to find what type of business they want to start. The step beforehand is to gain a comprehension that without knowing one's own purpose, it is extremely difficult to find any purpose within business. Purpose is found through self-discovery, the origin of mortal advancement. Self-discovery creates the foundation for entrepreneurial success.

During the self-discovery journey, there will continually be aspects of one's personality revealed, while uncovering who one truly is. Disclaimer; one’s self is not discovered in an instant, self-discovery is a never-ending process that helps define one’s purpose, it shows who someone is by unlocking success-driven personality traits. Self-discovery is a repeating cycle that begins with self-awareness, where key personality traits are found and one begins to understand who they truly are. This process moves through three more stages that identifies one's interests, identifies goals, and in a business sense allows one to discover a career. To begin the process and achieve self-discovery, there must be a mindset switch. A very accomplished author and linguist, Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph.D., wrote a book known as How Would Buddha Act? to reveal ways to interpret Buddhism practices in modern lives. A major Buddhist teaching emphasized, she explained, “If you can look at situations with a balanced point of view, without attachment or indulging in harmful acts, you are living a proper life” (Kipfer 10). This defines how to reach a positive life, as self-discovery reveals neutrality and bleeds into other key aspects in alignment with successful creators. Self-discovery is feasible through immersing oneself into the susceptibility of change, while practicing mindfulness, through ways like meditation.

A fundamental aspect to success and composure through self-discovery is meditation, as meditation is what specifically causes self-awareness. Rich Hanson, Ph.D., explains, “Meditation also builds up neuronal connections in key regions of the brain: prefrontal areas that help regulate attention, emotion, and action, the insula, which promotes self-awareness as well as empathy for others, the hippocampus, which is vital for putting things in context and calming down stress reactions...” (LeShan). It is explained that these traits are unlocked through self-discovery and meditation, which directly align with entrepreneurial necessities. In simpler terms, meditation allows for regulated attention, self-awareness, and perseverance due to the foundation of adaptability. These key personality traits are necessary for success in the business world. Talen Barney, a successful entrepreneur and experienced self-discovery mentor explained in an interview, “Persistence, for sure. Grit. Emotional Intelligence, I think is super high on that list, and leadership of course” (Barney). In a completely separate instance and a differentiated definition, key characteristics of a successful entrepreneur are aligned with personality traits adapted through self-discovery. Furthermore, directing all attention towards past ideas pertaining to characteristics of successful entrepreneurs can allow for more connection towards self-discovery. Many past research sections divulge into entrepreneurial components and eventually a very in-depth list was constructed. 42 different traits became listed as necessities in order to become a successful entrepreneur. Some of the most prominent and aligned traits to consider were self-confidence, self-centeredness, the ability to face uncertainty, and having a focus on all clear objectives (Kalkan & Kaygusuz 9). This further explains the branches expanded upon traits discovered through self-awareness and meditation, the first step and fundamental practice of self-discovery. Though practice and understanding of these concepts build foundation, achievement is not attainable until understood.

Before obtaining success, one must first define what success truly is. A definition of success is fabricated through personal experiences of the past and one's analysis of the present. To further expand on the self-discovery process, self-ambitions or awareness of interest must occur. Upon understanding new personality traits, personal interest becomes much more prevalent and less clouded in one's mindset. That alone allows for comprehension of what creates positive self-worth, also known as success. During the interview with Barney, he shared his belief that success is, “The ability to do whatever you deem as meaningful in your life, and you have the time and resources to be able to do that” (Barney). For many, success could be defined by wealth, for others it could be defined by the happiness of their family. There is no singular way to define success, as long as it pertains to one’s personal moral values. As an individual gains comprehension of what would deem their success, concrete details are created, and with persistence goals become thorough. Then success is eventually able to be reached while other key traits take over, like grit or self-centeredness, creating the ability to be focused on what is desired. Though, once more, without understanding what success is, it is not tangible. Kipfer continues to explain, “Wisdom replaces ignorance when you realize happiness does not lie in the accumulation of more and more pleasant feelings'' (Kipfer 50). This provides a sound explanation that success without meaning will lead to continually labeled stamps of approval from society. True success is defined once happiness leads to opportunity and achievement, not the other way around. After defining success, which is only possible through self-discovery, one must find the ability to get there.

Furthermore, once self-discovery evolves into a natural priority, success becomes present based on purpose. Finding oneself requires perseverance, just as developing a business also requires perseverance as a key characteristic for success. As an entrepreneur who begins a business will face failure after failure, perseverance is what is evident as trial and error prevails. Though with the repeating cycle of trial and error, goals must be created to limit oneself from falling too far backward and missing opportunities for advancement. Successful entrepreneur Eli Straw with an M.S. in psychology explains, “By giving ourselves goals to work towards, days become more meaningful and productive. Without a clear goal, it is difficult to generate a plan. And without a plan, it is likely we will not be as efficient” (Straw). While many researchers show that success can be achieved without specific goals, it contradicts the idea of purpose and continues to stress that without knowing what one desires, it is impossible to reach ultimate success. In many successful figures today, their rise to achievement can be dissected to uncover the process of self-discovery, revealing a pattern that supports the connection with entrepreneurial success. A major example would be the successful entrepreneur, Russell Simmons. Simmons is the current CEO of Rush Communications and started up Def Jam Records, bringing rap music to the mainstream, and becoming known as the Godfather of Hip-hop. In his book, Success Through Stillness, he reveals how meditation has been a key element to his success. Simmons continues to discuss how becoming a meditator gives one a sense of awareness in life, as well as a feeling of purpose (Simmons 6). Practicing meditation, gaining self-awareness, and finding purpose defines self-discovery while revealing how to create goals.

Goals are adapted based on what seems purposeful to an individual's perspective. As goals serve as stepping stones on the final path to success, they are developed through the self-discovery process. Finding purpose in life drives one to pursue action to reach a certain position of success, by creating sound goals, as that is the definitive path. It is as if one was walking along a road and after approaching a large dividing river, they build a bridge in order to get across. While success in this example may be defined as reaching the end of the road, the goal at hand was getting across the river. Once that goal was reached, the distance between success and the current position lessens. Goals offer short-term and long-term self-expectations, removing personal doubt and emotional fog from the equation. The mind becomes too comfortable in a stagnant position, therefore goals force perseverance, allowing advancement to develop. As the final step on the path to success through self-discovery, it also is perceived as the most challenging, where persistence is key.

After the self-discovery process is understood, entrepreneurial success can be obtained. Self-discovery does not only correlate to a business incentive, it should be heavily implemented in daily practices. Mindfulness, self-awareness, and other key components revealed from self-discovery not only boost traits that are necessary for success in entrepreneurship, but also help many exercise healthy coping mechanisms. It allows people to find hobbies, love, and even peace of mind simply by wishing to know more about the self. Personally, self-discovery has led to beneficial relationships and positive connections in my life outside of business. It has allowed me to remain more composed in serious situations, communicate multiple perspectives, and apply positive morality in daily decisions. Though my personal business venture is still in its beginning stages, I am already applying aspects of myself that I have found through self-discovery. This includes perseverance, creativity and other pieces of who I am that were dilated due to minimal self-understanding. With the many benefits of understanding oneself, purposeful discovery becomes necessary at one point or another. Self-discovery leads to an entrepreneur's success as it reveals who one is, what they hope to achieve, and finally, how to get there.

Works Cited

Barney, Talen. Phone Interview. 3 November 2022.
Baron, Robert A. Essentials of Entrepreneurship: Evidence and Practice. Edward Elgar

Publishing, 2014. Accessed 7 November 2022.

Harter, Jim, and Annamarie Mann. “Employee Engagement vs. Employee Satisfaction and Organizational Culture.” Gallup, 13 August 2022, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236366/right-culture-not-employee-satisfaction.aspx. Accessed 16 November 2022.

Kalkan, Melek, and Canani Kaygusuz. "The psychology of entrepreneurship." Entrepreneurship–Born, Made and Educated 5.2 (2012): 3-26.

Kipfer, Barbara Ann. How Would Buddha Act? 801 Right-Action Teachings for Living with Awareness and Intention. New Harbinger Publications. Limited, 2016.

LeShan, Lawrence. How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery. Little, Brown, 1974. Accessed 16 November 2022.

Morrow, Chris, and Simmons, Russell. Success Through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple. United States, Gotham Books, 2014.

Straw, Eli. “Importance of Goal Setting.” Success Starts Within, 23 December 2021, https://www.successstartswithin.com/blog/importance-of-goal-setting. Accessed 30 November 2022.