This one never ceases to be relevant since all time periods are at least a little bit dark and tumultuous. Gandalf reminds Frodo that as much as it hurts to be alive during dark, frightening and tumultuous times, it’s best to focus on the choices we do have. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’” ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. In the words of Gandalf, All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.“‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. All we can do is use the information we have at hand to make the best decisions possible, keep moving forward, and lead our teams through these trying times. In the wake of COVID-19, we’re facing tough decisions that impact not only our own lives but those of our employees because of a situation we can’t control and couldn’t have anticipated.įriends, take courage. A few short months ago life was normal and the economy seemed strictly confined to the up and up. We’re all probably feeling a bit like Frodo right now. After all, all we can do is make decisions where we are right now with the information we have. Yet, something about stepping back from all the unknowns, focusing on these words and this moment allowed me to stop overthinking and take action to move my business forward. I had walked away from the security and benefits of a well-paying career just to strike out on my own. I remember staring at the wall of my home office months into this journey thinking this isn’t working. My wife and I drained our savings account, I faced countless "what-ifs" and unpredictable outcomes with no idea on what would actually work. The first year of this journey was demanding and wearisome. In the early days of building my business, I was often faced with impossible decisions with completely unknown outcomes and I found solace in these words. These words give Frodo the courage he needs to stay the course and ultimately complete his quest to destroy the ring. Gandalf responds with words of hope, encouraging Frodo to make the most out of this responsibility that fate has given him. The weight of this responsibility that was thrust upon him comes crashing down. He’s confronting despair, evil, and uncertainty. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”Īt this moment in the story, Frodo is facing struggles he never anticipated and was unprepared for on his quest to destroy the ring. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. “ I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. I’ve always enjoyed delving into the works of JRR Tolkien (yes, I’ve read The Silmarillion multiple times… ) and I’ve recently found myself ruminating on a quote from The Fellowship of the Ring that got me through many tough times during the early stages of my startup: Like many of you, the early days of building my business were daunting. However, that hasn’t always been the case. With courage and perseverance we can make it through tough times like this, come out better and stronger, and ultimately stay the course on our path to success.Īt Long Capture, I feel we are one of the few fortunate businesses that find ourselves in a good position during these times. What I would like to tell you is that for small businesses, there is a path out of the storm. Needless to say, it is easy to let fear of the unknown drive how we lead in these uncertain times. In the last several weeks, my team and I have invested time in reviewing our business finances and running projections to decipher what the future may hold for us. If you’re a small business owner like me, you’re probably feeling uncertain about what lies ahead. I don’t need to tell you that the world is crazy right now, because everyone else is already doing so.
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