Monday, January 31, 2011

Your friends are projecting their own fears

So you are looking to take the risk of leaving regular employment and start your own business. Naturally, you will turn to family, friends and trusted colleagues for their support and advice.
Unfortunately most of what you will hear is well meaning advice about how you couldn’t possibly succeed. 

Forgive them, they mean well.

When you listen to the advice try substituting ‘I’ for the ‘you’ they are saying. Pretty soon you’ll realise that they are projecting themselves into your situation and telling you their personal fears.

That is fine, but remember that they haven’t had the courage to take the step you have yet – so they’ll have a lot of fears and anxieties to tell you about.  For the worst offenders it may be necessary to limit contact for a while as your confidence is already likely to be pretty thin and they’ll only bring you down.

Save your meaningful conversations for those who’ve been in the same boat before and come through. I had a few people help me this way, and once I started I have never regretted it.

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