Leap without Fear

Image by Ksnaps Photography

Dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, pursuing a means of passive income, or simply making use of a hidden talent tend to consume us from time to time. Unfortunately, many of us will only have dreams because we refuse to take the steps needed to turn these dreams into reality. This is often a result of fear. Perhaps you may not know where to start or what needs to be done to become successful. Similarly, in some cases, there is that stubborn, unwanted fear of what others might think that holds you back. I am guilty of allowing this to happen to me.

Some of us live in a society where our abilities are judged based on qualifications and lots of experience. If someone lacks the qualifications or experience necessary for the particular niche he or she wants to pursue, people tend to gravitate to another person who does. But what if that person has the natural aptitude or skill for the niche? Should we allow people the opportunity to prove themselves?

An employer who requests a lot of experience from an employee often puzzles me. Though I would be fearful of going to a surgeon who is performing surgery on me for the first time, I still find some job requirements to be wildly absurd. I am sure that many of you have had situations where you wanted to apply for a job, but the requirement was ten years of experience in a particular field or more. Let's say you were twenty years old at the time of reading the advertisement. I am sure that immediately you would feel discouraged and disadvantaged without being given the opportunity to prove your ability. Is there something we are missing here? Perhaps we should be focusing on preparing CVs for our ten-year-olds to meet the needs of these employers.

It all goes back to how we were raised. We were told to go to school and get good grades so that we could work for others. We were taught how to survive in a changing society, but not necessarily encouraged to be innovative or creative to contribute positively to society. We were not told to become bosses, to have multiple streams of income, and pass on generational wealth. Nevertheless, in these uncertain times, we shouldn't need anyone to tell us how to boss up.

I know that for some of you, my words are grabbing you by the collar right now. I enjoy ruffling feathers; I often have to ruffle my own. Allow me to put it this way. There are a lot of people in the world right now making money and being successful off of that one thing that you are naturally good at. These people are not necessarily better at it than you are, but they believed in themselves and made their dreams a reality. While you, on the other hand, sit and worry. Some of you even become upset that the person is thriving in the field and wonder what you've been doing wrong all along. The reality is, you've been dreaming- that's all!

I recently saw a friend tweet, "If we understood how much value we brought to organizations, we would be way more respected, paid better, or doing our own thing." For me, "doing our own thing" stood out the most. This means that we are the masterminds behind the success of these businesses. The problem is, we didn't have the confidence our bosses had to start the businesses ourselves. We must change that mindset.

Now is the time to go after what you want. The year 2020 has proven to me that life is short and if there was ever a time to begin working on your empire, it is now. Don't wait for people to understand or believe in your abilities, believe in yourself. Work toward your goals and achieve them one by one. Ignore the naysayers, focus on you. Eventually, those same people become well-wishers, customers, and supporters. Some of them were waiting for someone else to make the first move because they also lack confidence. Let it be you. Grow your own, start your business, make your own, write your own. Whatever it is you choose to do, boss up! Start your journey today!