by Debbie Ruston, Columnist & Featured Contributor
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]S[/su_dropcap]EVERAL YEARS AGO I learned a powerful principle that has shaped every part of my life. Prior to learning this, I found myself being swayed by the opinions of others, without really knowing deep down what my own opinion was. This is a slippery slope and can lead one to compromising their own ideas, beliefs and goals, which leads to feeling frustrated and a lack of control within one’s life. We see this demonstrated every day, if we recognize it. So many people in life, just follow the herd mentality….doing what everyone else does. And so many wonder why they are stressed, frustrated, unfulfilled, and unhappy.
The principle is simple – Know for Yourself, and is based on educating yourself to find your own truths, without buying into the opinions of others. This is an extremely powerful principle to build your life around and truly affects all aspects of life. Today we have so much information at our fingertips, if we recognize and take the time to find our own truths.
Employee vs Business Owner – Why does most of the population go to work every day for an employer, and in many cases, hate what they do? Because it is the perceived “norm”….everyone does it, people don’t believe they have choice, and they “need” someone to provide a perceived “security” for them. The truth is there is no such thing as job security today…downsizing, layoffs, underemployment etc., are all indications of this.
Health – In my community there are signs everywhere, and discussions in Dr.’s offices and social gatherings about the “need” to get the annual “flu shot”. This is based around fear. I see people lined up, fear mongering signs, etc., and people in society blindly following what everyone else does, without thinking this through for themselves. There is also a huge debate on vacines for children, and often parents blindly follow what everyone else does.
Relationships – Very often we form our opinion of someone based on information someone else has given us. This is not fair to the individual. When we take the time to know someone, and have our own criteria to base decisions on, we find our own truths, which can be vastly different from the “gossip” we may have heard about this person. This also holds true with “groups” of people – we cannot put everyone under one “label”. This causes prejudice and close mindedness.
Successful entrepreneurs think differently and build their success based on principles for success. We realize we don’t have to agree with everyone, and there does not have to be a confrontation to have your own opinion. We are capable of doing our own research and finding our own truths. We have confidence to take another direction and don’t have to be part of the herd mentality. We are not afraid to take a stand for what we believe in. We understand it is important to embrace risk to find new opportunities.
When you know for yourself, based on your own research, experiences and evidence, rather than blindly following the mass opinion of our social circles, media, government or education, you build an internal confidence and feeling of peace inside. You are not afraid to test new things, have your own opinion, take different paths, make different decisions, and truly live life on your terms. You don’t feel controlled, or stressed…you feel like you are making decisions that support what YOU want in your life, not living a life that is controlled by others. This mindset is not reserved for entrepreneurs….this mindset helps anyone live a more on purpose life.
