Do you ever get the feeling that you’re stuck?
Like you’re one of the many, many suckers who have fallen for the hustle and been taken in by the scheme.
This is not a bad thing. In fact, if you’re an entrepreneur, it’s great!
People admire those who can overcome challenges and rise to the top.
Unfortunately, just like in the movies, it often doesn’t turn out as expected.
I’ve had several high-risk business ventures. When one didn’t pan out, the world did not stop spinning.
Everything continued like normal, all with me the same person, none of my friends wanting to hang out with a loser, nobody caring. I still managed to continue with my job at CitiBank.
This is not to say that I didn’t get discouraged at times. I was and am as susceptible to these emotions as anyone else.
But I made it a point to keep believing in my ability to become a millionaire.
I call myself an adventurer
I aspired to make my way to the top, to become a leader. I’m driven and eager to succeed.
I’m also great at what I do. If you know anything about me, you know that if I don’t accomplish something, I’m going to make it my mission to figure it out.
I have the tenacity to always get what I want out of life.
There’s a story of a man named Marco, who was seeking a way to improve his performance. He went to a guru named Babaji, who told him to eat some cherry seed marzipan.
He was told the marzipan would allow him to gain strength, physical stamina, and mental energy.
He ate the marzipan, drank some wine, and proceeded to run around the room. He was told by the guru that he was great. He felt like he could accomplish anything.
Over the next few weeks, he ate a lot more marzipan. He became stronger and faster. He lived in a mansion.
One day he saw a sign outside of his mansion that read, “All pictures. Weakened by excessive marzipan consumption.”
He never went near the sign again.
The point is, humans have this need to prove themselves to others. We are the only species to pursue validation over achievement.
It’s easy to act like an underdog and feel like you are one by saying something to anyone that will listen.
It’s called small talk. (If you’re a corporate worker, I hate to break it to you, but corporate life often entails endless small talk. It is not easy or enjoyable.)
Whether you’re in a meeting at work or a cocktail party, you want to feel as though you’re making a difference.
You want to look important and have others respect you. As an entrepreneur, you are doing the same thing.
You are taking care of the people around you, working towards a goal, and succeeding. Most importantly, you want your family and friends to respect and admire you.
This is where confidence comes into play
It seems to me that most of us are conditioned to not like ourselves. We are taught that we are not enough, that our ideas are bad, and that we are not worthy of success.
This is why it’s so important to understand your strengths. If you know who you are, you can stop trying to find someone to tell you that you’re good enough, smart enough, successful enough. You already are.
Confidence is an internal trait. Confidence isn’t something that you can pull out of thin air. It’s something you either have or you don’t have.
To achieve anything, you have to believe you can do it. If you don’t, there’s no reason to do it.
Confidence comes from understanding yourself and your abilities.
It’s a combination of doing what you love and surrounding yourself with people who will help you achieve that.
I’m going to lead with my strength. I am extremely powerful and powerful people tend to lead with their strength. I’m going to listen to what people tell me to do, not because it’s good for them, but because I know it’s the right thing to do.
When you listen, the level of respect you receive in return is immense. It’s what you’re supposed to do as an entrepreneur.
If you don’t believe you’re capable of something amazing, then you can’t lead others to greatness
There are two types of confidence: internal and external.
External confidence in a leader is about the way they think. It has to do with how confident you are that what you’re doing is right.
Internal confidence, however, is about the feeling you have inside. It’s the confidence you have inside of you that tells you you can create something great.
External confidence comes from how much confidence others have in you. Without it, you can’t take risks.
If your colleagues are skeptical about what you’re doing, then you will never be able to make big decisions.
Finding your internal confidence is the key to your success as an entrepreneur.
