DISCOURAGEMENT

The entrepreneurial journey is filled with pitfall such as false promises, bad decisions, bad business partners, etc... It's an uphill battle. All of us, regardless of what stage we're at in the journey have one thing in common: we hustle, fail, try again, etc…

I'm an adventurer at heart and I chose the entrepreneurial path a long time ago. One reason I enjoy it is because it is also the personal growth path. There's hardly anything else that will test you like running your business. It will test your will, your confidence, and your inner strength more than anything else. There's one trap that's one of the hardest to overcome though: discouragement.

Discouragement is subtle, it creeps into our consciousness like an ill-intentioned cockroach, initiating negative thoughts: I'm not good enough (then all the reasons why you're not good enough will pop up),  I'll never make it, it'll take me years and years before somethings positive will come out of this,  etc...

It’s as though the voices of the naysayers at last take over. For me, I can easily picture my mother’s finger pointing in my direction as she reminds me, “I told you so.”

It is no secret that to become an entrepreneur we have to be willing to face uncertainty at its worst. We take a chance, we quit lucrative jobs, we choose a path contrary to the values our families instilled in us. Whatever our circumstances, we all face the dreaded instability that comes with the pursuit of our dreams.

Speaking from experience, to start a business, or a new career, is like going to the gym; at first we are motivated, we’re full of enthusiasm, but when the initial stimulation wears off most of us gradually slow down. Some of us even quit.

Sometimes discouragement leads us to do shady things we might regret later. We might end up in the wrong bed, we might stab a trusted friend or mentor in the back. Chances are, if we let it grow, we might hang out with the wrong crowd.

I found out that the world of business is similar to the dating world. When you're discouraged others smell it, some even seem to have a damn good flair for it. And like dating, some will try to take advantage of our moment of weakness. God knows, if had a dollar for the number of times I witnessed a man prey on the easy girl, the one who reeks bad self-esteem…The same is in business.

To get out of that pitfall, I get in touch with my inner silence. Some meditate; I like to take a walk in the forest. In the morning, I empty my mind by putting my feelings on paper. Often  times, the simple act of observing a tree re-centers me.

A good support system is vital to me. I don't believe in the ‘lone ranger’ mind-set. Nobody makes it on his/her own; everyone needs an ally. For some it's a parent, a friend or a sister. Whoever understands our reality and who, when we fall, will encourage us to dust ourselves off and reach for that brass ring again is priceless. Even if it's just one person, it's enough.

When negative energy pulls me in that dreaded downward spiral, I remind myself why I started in the first place. I remind myself the purpose of my journey. From where I stand, no one is immune to discouragement, even the best of us.

As Jim Rohn mentioned: “What’s important is not the million dollars; what’s important is the person you have to become in the process of becoming a millionaire”

With Purpose, Passion, and Love

Frédéric Byé