5 Things St. Patrick Can Teach Us About Our Communities And Our Businesses.

Since it's St. Patrick's day, I figured I would share a little bit of history on the man behind the holiday. St. Patrick wasn't from the country that is now permanently associated with his name. He ended up there through an incredible series of events. When he was a young boy pirates landed in his home town and he was kidnapped along with many others. The pirates took him to Ireland where he was sold into slavery. He spent 6 years in Ireland most of that time under lock and key. During this dark time, is when religion came to him.

Eventually he was able to escape and went on to join a monastery to study and eventually became a Bishop. Soon thereafter he had a vision that the Irish were calling him back to Ireland to tell them about God. Over the next 20 years St. Patrick traversed Ireland converting countless and setting up monasteries, schools and churches. His efforts were so successful that not only did he accomplish his objectives, but he also ended up winning the hearts and minds of an entire country. Today we know him as the Irish Saint.

What can we draw from St. Patrick's story to help our businesses and communities?

1. Your community isn't just the place you're from, but also the place(s) that influence who you are.

2. Embrace difficult times. Difficult times allow you to find out who you really are.

3. Connect with those who connect with you. St. Patrick spent a good deal of his young adult life with the Irish. This connection no doubt helped him relate to and connect with this people later in life. We are taught to always grow and move forward. For many that has meant leaving behind their community in the search for something better. Though this choice is fine for some, it can be argued that those who make such a choice are missing out on an incredible opportunity to help those who at one time were the closest to them. This opportunity presents immense economic and emotional value to those who choose to grasp it.

4. Run towards your fears. There's no doubt that being a slave as a young boy must have been a horrible and terrifying experience. It amazes me that St. Patrick had the courage to return to the place that he no doubt associated with terrible things. It also amazes me at how much he was able to accomplish by overcoming this fear. It is human nature to avoid or put off things that make us uncomfortable. I feel confident that you as well as everyone else reading this blog has something that they know they need to do for their business, but that thing keeps getting put on the back burner in favor of an easier or less intimidating task. How much time have you wasted by not moving forward with what you know you need to do? How much further would you be now if you had started when you realized you should have?

5. Hard work pays off. When I think about it, 20 years seems like an incredibly short period of time to get a Country to embrace a foreign concept, let alone a new belief system. St. Patrick surely had an incredible work ethic.

Hopefully this post will motivate you to reach out into your community and focus on how your business can bring value to the people that have shaped who you are. We're all in a position to make a difference to those around us, let's embrace that opportunity! With St. Patrick as an example, let's embrace the activities that scare us, because immense progress and success is the reward for conquering our fears. And lets all have a HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!