‘E’, The Most Important Letter In The Alphabet

The letter ‘E’ will go down as one of the most versatile and used letters in history.

I don’t consider myself a Scrabble aficionado, but I do know that ‘E’ is the most popular letter in the English alphabet. While it doesn’t start as many words as let’s say the letter ‘T’, it does appear inside of words more often than any other letter.

That aside, ‘E’ does have the privilege of starting some of the most important words in the language.

• Earth
• Elated
• Eminence
• Ethical
• Earn
• Expert
• Elite

The problem with these words is that they are not exciting. Not by a long shot. In my opinion, the letter ‘E’ starts three very exciting words, each for different reasons.

These words have the ability to separate the strong from the weak and are the difference between ordinary and extraordinary. These words can and will make or break you if you let them. They are so powerful that they are often overlooked without a second thought.

Excuse

If you talk to an entrepreneur, they will always tell you about the struggle, commitment, time, sacrifice, and never ending hours required to being one. After they finished telling you about all of those, they usually ramble off about the amount work it is, how the weeks blend together, and how tough the rollercoaster ride can be. What you will never hear them talk about is why they couldn’t get things done.

As painstaking as not getting something done is, it is more painful trying to come up with excuses to explain why you couldn’t get it done. An entrepreneur knows that every opportunity where something did not go as planned is an opportunity to learn. Learning is not an excuse, it’s a privilege.

Execute

Ever wonder how high-performance athletes, CEO’s, and Fortune 500 companies never seem to crumble under pressure?

These and others like them execute and aren’t afraid to do so. They know that with execution comes risk and with risk, potentially comes failure. Therein lies its beauty.

Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently” and I couldn’t agree more. Failure, like a missed opportunity, is a chance to learn, correct, and apply your what you learn to the next opportunity.

Robin Sharma calls the place for those who execute at the highest level, “rare air”. This means being the best. He tells you to become a master of your craft. Commit yourself to mastery and become the heavyweight champion of your field. Get a mentor and spend the time studying and doing so that you become the best in your niche.

If I may, I’d like to offer a word of caution?

Do not become a master for the fame that it might bring you. This will bring you nothing but heartache and emptiness. Become a master to better represent and benefit humankind.

Entrepreneur

Those who have the most suffered the most.

Do you know why Howard Schultz, J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, and Daymond John are where they are today?

They suffered and suffered tremendously.

Rowling battled suicidal tendencies, depression, and poverty. Winfrey was born into poverty, wore dresses made out of potato sacks, and was molested by her relatives. John grew up in Queens and nobody pegged him as the entrepreneur that would launch FUBU. Schultz grew up in the housing projects of New York to a father who worked countless blue-collar jobs and a mother that was responsible for raising he and his siblings.

They didn’t achieve “rare air” by making excuses. They achieved it through execution. These people and so many like them understand what it means to live with nothing and have molded their lives so that they never have to live with nothing again.

Journey

I know, journey starts with ‘J’ and not ‘E’. Forgive me. It is crucially important that it is included in this list.

The little brother to success, journey is where character is built. It is through the journey that you become the person you are meant to be. The people you meet, the things you learn, the events you attend, and the steps/missteps along the way are all integral parts of the journey.

Like a wave that batters the rocks, the journey is what molds, sculpts, and shapes you.

Don’t get to the end of your journey wishing that you had spent more time enjoying it. Instead, embrace it and embrace it with open arms.