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Mentor Wisdom: "I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying." — Jeff Bezos
Mentor Lesson: The 3am thoughts that haunt entrepreneurs
Jeff Bezos figured out something most people learn too late - the sting of "what if" hurts way worse than face-planting on your dreams.
Think about it.
When you fail at something, you dust yourself off, maybe nurse a bruised ego for a week, and then move on.
The pain fades pretty quick. But regret? That sneaky little monster camps out in your brain rent-free for years.
You know those 3 AM thoughts that pop up randomly?
They're never about the time you tried starting that side hustle and it flopped.
Nope.
They're about the business idea you never pursued, the partnership you were too scared to propose, or the leap you almost took but chickened out at the last second.
Failure teaches you stuff. It shows you what doesn't work, makes you tougher, and gives you stories to tell later.
Regret just sits there being useless, whispering mean things about missed chances.
The weird part is we're wired backwards.
We worry about looking dumb if we fail, but we never think about how dumb we'll feel in 10 years for not even trying. Fear of embarrassment stops us from taking shots that could change everything.
Smart entrepreneurs flip this script.
They'd rather explain a failure than wonder forever about a missed opportunity. At least when you fail, you get data. When you don't try, you get nothing except that annoying voice asking "what if" for the rest of your life.
As promised, wisdom in under a minute.
Talk soon,
-Chris
P.S. Most entrepreneurs miss game-changing opportunities because they're not staying plugged into what's happening in the business world. Don't let ignorance become your biggest regret.
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