Staying up late. Sacrificing social outings and friends. Hustling every single day. Waking up early. These are just some of the things that an entrepreneur has to go through to push their business forward. It’s hard not to get discouraged and lose hope. It’s hard to continue hustling when it sometimes feels as if you’re reaching no one at all. It’s hard to persevere in the midst of your own personal problems with everyone around you telling you that you can’t do it. But this is where purpose and perseverance play a major role for all small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Knowing your purpose is probably the greatest factor in being able to push forward with any sort of dream. If you don’t know your purpose, it’s so easy to give up and throw in the towel. If you don’t know your purpose, you’ll be the first one struggling with pushing forward and building your dream. Specifically, for those people whose dream is to own their own business. On the outside, it seems as though being an entrepreneur is easy and care-free. It seems as if small business owners live the good life. They travel whenever they want, they work from home, and the best part, they don’t report to anyone! Yes, all those things are definitely wonderful perks, but it’s not the complete story. There are late nights, early mornings, lots of tears, tons of brainstorming, and so much more that goes into owning a business. And while a small business can really take a toll on you, knowing God’s purpose for you and your business is what will keep those engines running and that creativity going. Knowing the “why” behind your dream is that thing that will keep you moving and reaching for bigger and better things. Vic and I always pray that God moves through us in the midst of our business. That we be more than  just photographers, but that our business would always serve a greater purpose.

When you know what God wants for you and the purpose behind your business (or any dream you’re trying to pursue), you are able to persevere. That purpose will fuel your fire and you will move forward, come what may. Purpose is directly tied to perseverance! When you don’t feel like moving forward, when you get tired of the hustle, when it seems too much, that’s when purpose kicks in and revs your engines to continue moving! Without purpose, you are moving in circles and struggling to push forward and often times that drive and perseverance dies down.

I honestly don’t know why I’m writing this, but I felt a heavy burden to share this with you all. If you aren’t sure what you are supposed to do on this earth, I encourage you to seek out the One who gave you purpose. Find your purpose in God, and although it won’t be a perfect journey, it will definitely be easier to persevere when you know what you need to do and you know Who is behind you.