Lately I’ve been struggling with the idea that I’m an entrepreneur. But according to the definition I guess I am: “a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.” I struggle with this new way of looking at myself and my life/career/business. I’ve been finding myself needing to reevaluate what I’m doing with my life and maybe even redefine how I see myself.
In many places in my life I’ve often felt that I’m on the outskirts and that I don’t quite fit. Lately I’ve been spending more time online and in person interacting with others who are also forging their own paths and running businesses of their own. I’ve been finding that I have a lot in common with these folks, even if I’m doing things my own way. At times I don’t feel like I belong there and yet, the more I interact with other entrepreneurs the more I feel seen.
It’s taken a lot of work though to shift how I feel and think about myself. For so long my narrative has been that I don’t fit or belong in the spaces that I show up in. I’ve had to work really hard to shift that way of thinking. I’ve noticed it’s a habit to find evidence for the fact that I’m different or that I don’t belong. All along that’s what I’ve been looking for. Lately I’ve found myself finding it harder to find that evidence. In fact, there is actually more evidence that I do fit, that I do belong.
It takes practice though. It’s not easy to shift your default way of thinking. I still catch myself looking for reasons that I don’t fit. Then I need to remind myself that I’m doing a new thing now. I’m looking for the spaces that I do belong. I try to do this kindly and with compassion instead of getting mad at myself for falling into old patterns. The lack of self judgement makes it easier for me to shift.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Wayne Dyer
Whether you’re trying to shift to an entrepreneurial mindset or shifting to a healthier way of showing up in your relationships or trying to improve your self-esteem or self-talk I want you to know it’s entirely possible! Small and simple steps can make a big difference. First try to notice where you are now. How do you show up and how do you think of yourself or the situation? Second, take some time to look for evidence. Is the way you’ve been thinking entirely accurate, or is there evidence to the contrary that you’ve been overlooking? Third, give yourself credit for doing this hard work and know that it will take time for things to shift, but if you stay with it they will shift!
It’s easy to get lost in our blind spots. After all, we can’t fix it if we can’t see it. When we do start to see the areas in our life where we’d like to make improvements it’s a huge blessing. We can take that as an opportunity for growth. Every so often it’s important to sit down and take a look at our life and see if it’s time to…
