You may be familiar with the play "Man of LaMancha" written by Dale Wasserman. The central figure of the story is one Don Quixote. Quixote is an example of romantic idealism in its purest form.

Specifically, Quixote’s story is an inspiration for each of us to pursue our personal quests with unyielding dedication, unbridled optimism and unwavering courage.

In other words, Quixote is not too much different than each of you reading this column. Your dream is to start a business. Perhaps you are catching up on that dream and have already opened your enterprise. I am not suggesting that you go out and chase windmills or have false illusions about the commitment that operating a business demands.

My reason for sharing these thoughts with you is simple; don’t let memories outnumber your dreams.

There is one particular song in "Man of LaMancha" that synopsizes what many entrepreneurs feel. The song by Joe Darion is called "The Impossible Dream."

To dream the impossible dream: As an entrepreneur, you have the dream that sometimes seems impossible to achieve.
Never let the embers of your dream die out. Instead, give your dream life each day.

To fight the unbeatable foe: There is no obstacle that cannot be conquered by you in your quest. Take advantage of all resources available to you. As Sir Winston Churchill told his countrymen during the darkest days of World War II: "Never, never, never quit."

To bear with unbearable sorrow: As it is with life, your business will have times when you will feel overwhelmed. The great temptation will be to feel sad and disconsolate. As my mother used to say to me, "Go ahead and have a pity party. It doesn’t change the fact that you have to deal with the situation."

To run where the brave dare not go: By starting a business, you have already gone where others dared not to venture. You were courageous enough to start the business. Now, be bold and differentiate your business from the rest of the pack.

To right the unrightable wrong: If you have the control or opportunity to correct a wrong, do not be timid. Make it right.

To love pure and chased from afar: If you are going to start a business, then do something that you love to do. Have a passion about your craft and profession.

To try when your arms are too weary: Goodness knows that there will be those days when you say "Is it worth it?" If it isn’t worth it, then why did you pursue your dream in the first place?

To reach the unreachable star: Put your heart, mind and soul into your dream, and it will never be impossible.