by Debbie Ruston, Columnist & Featured Contributor
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]E GROW UP with phrases like “don’t get your hopes up”, “be realistic”, “be happy with what you have”. This causes so many people in life to think small. These type of phrases are dis-empowering when it comes to creating success in any area of life.
A new entrepreneur decides to start a business. Although they want success, they have these word tracks going through their mind…..I don’t want to get my hopes up in case I fail, I have to be realistic with what I can achieve, I have to be happy with what I have. These words tracks do not empower a person to think out of the box, to break down limitations, to strive for what is possible. These word tracks cause a person to settle, to buy into mediocrity, to give into fears and limiting beliefs. This is no way to start a business and a reminder that an entrepreneur MUST be willing to identify and change their thinking. Successful entrepreneurs think very differently than those that don’t have success. Those that don’t have success are usually thinking like an employee.
I am in the middle of planning our daughter’s wedding and being exposed to some new discussions on social media. I saw a post from someone selling something for a wedding ceremony. She had about 5 offers from people that wanted to “rent” it from her, not buy it. She kept ignoring the requests. Then one person said, it looks like you have a little business starting for yourself. Did the seller even think of this? Instead of selling the item for the amount she was asking, had she thought about renting it, over and over and creating a revenue stream? Why couldn’t she see this? Had she even considered it? Or was she just thinking, I have to make X amount of money back on this item, instead of bigger picture thinking on how she could take something small, and build it into something bigger? Does she understand the concept of invest in something once, and have it generate revenue over and over?
Someone is working a job they hate and something better comes along but they don’t go after it. Why would anyone settle like this? Are they thinking “I should just be happy with what I have”, or, “I have 3 wks holiday, I don’t want to go back to 2 wks”, or other dis-empowering thoughts, instead of, how they would be so much happier, have more advancement potential perhaps, learn something new, and can work back up to 3 wks holiday. How about freelancing for several clients providing this service, and take as many holidays as you want! It amazes me how often I speak to people who absolutely hate what they do, yet do nothing about it…just settle for what they have and complain about it. These individuals could make a change or even take their knowledge, skills, passions, interests, experience and go out on their own starting their own businesses. Without bigger picture thinking, they never even consider it.
Playing small in life and in business does not move you forward or allow you to grow. It has you stay in the same place. To experience what you are truly capable of, start expanding your thinking, think out of the box, and challenge yourself to think bigger….when you think bigger you find possibilities you never dreamed possible, and also prove to yourself what you are truly capable of.
