The Support Network – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

Two tools we all need in life

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

You have an idea, a project, a new way of doing something. The resources are in place, determination and discipline are two values that define you, and everything is ready to go. Yet something very important is missing from that checklist before you start. It’s something you need to feel, keep in mind at all times and know will be there at any hour: the rock where you can rest, think, reflect, listen and keep going. Let’s find out what it is.

By nature we’re social, rational and emotional beings. These traits set us apart from one another, and at the same time make us part of one family with similar needs. The warmth of a hug, the light of good advice, a loving look or the feeling of company are small big gifts life gives us when we have a solid support network. Whatever the objective, goal or venture, that network has to be there.

Of all of these, company stands out for me: knowing you have someone who is there at every moment, to celebrate the wins and to see you through the tough times. Being aware of your support network and feeling accompanied during a venture are two essential tools for any entrepreneur on the journey.

I think investing in a support network is just as vital as investing resources, maybe more. The investment is high, and the return is higher still. It takes a deep level of commitment and a mindset of complete trust. Our support network ends up being the first and last place we turn to for help, and every challenge lives somewhere between those two ends.

A support network needs no plan or structure. It needs us to look after it. How? By giving, giving more than we get from it. It’s nourished by spirit, by sincerity, by thinking of it constantly, by friendship and solidarity, all of them values life gives us for free and that we can give back for free. When we give more than we receive, we receive in return, in unimaginable ways and in much greater measure.

How is your support network, and who makes it up? Whom do you trust blindly because you know they’ll always be there for you? How much do you devote and give back to your support network? And above all: how can I support you? Always remember that the best is yet to come.

Warm regards,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S.1 This post is inspired by my wife, on our anniversary. I dedicate it to her for being the center of my support network and an unmatched companion, and for being my strength in the hardest moments I’ve lived, especially on my entrepreneurial journey and through all the challenges that came with it.

P.S.2 This week’s VELA:

• What I was Watching: The Psychological Significance of the Biblical Stories. A masterful series by Jordan Peterson, a psychologist I follow and keep discovering more and more. It’s a set of videos covering most of the lectures he has given. What struck me most was when he announced them in the context of a very serious illness and the faith he developed because of it.
• What I was Listening to: El valor de seguir adelante. A great song by Laura Pausini from the album Hazte sentir. The line that stands out: "The answers you’re waiting for will be in your eyes"
• What I was Reading: The Startup Community Way. A great book, by far one of the good ones. The entrepreneurial spirit defines us as human beings, and how we organize ourselves around our dreams and aspirations makes for a fabulous study, especially for understanding where to step in and who can step in most effectively.
• What I was Learning: A Field Guide to a Happy Life. A small but powerful book. It’s teaching me to live in the here and now, which is all we have.

"Feeling accompanied and loved is one of the best ways to strengthen the immune system, which protects you from many illnesses" Mario Alonso Puig

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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