As spiritual entrepreneurs, you must pursue your dreams with bravery and tenacity.
We not only seek out light, but we become it, illuminating the world around us as we trek onward.
But as our flame grows brighter with each passing day, so, too, does the shadow behind us stretch out and blanket the world around us.
There is a dark side to our journey — a gloomy shadow that discourages us from going forward.
It tells us that we aren’t enough, we’re wasting our time, and the path is too risky.
While it’s important to push past this doubt and keep moving forward, it is equally as important that we take note of what this shadow says.
You must know your enemy to defeat them, and you must know your obstacles to overcome them.
As entrepreneurs, we face unique challenges in our lives that our friends and family may not understand.
Pursuing your dreams can be isolating, as you grapple with the demanding hardships that come with forging a new path.
These hardships do more than immediately inconvenience us.
They highlight inner roadblocks that can prevent us from achieving our full potential.
The shadow of entrepreneurship is necessary It allows us to be more aware of our strengths and weaknesses, and to become the best version of ourselves.
Just as our bodies feel pain to inform us that we are injured, the hardships we face can show us the areas of our lives that need improvement.
The Shadow
So what does the shadow tell entrepreneurs as they forge a new path?
What challenges do we face that isolate us from our loved ones?
What does our inner critic tell us about what we can do and achieve?
What habits are preventing you from stepping into your full potential?
The Truth About Time
Entrepreneurship asks us to prioritize our goals and manage our time wisely.
Those that work a traditional “9-5” job may not understand the dedication and commitment required for entrepreneurship.
Where others have a designated work week, many entrepreneurs are left asking, “What’s a weekend?”
It can often feel as though we simply don’t have enough time in the day to accomplish all that we would like.
Using a scarcity of time as an excuse for not pursuing your goals is a surefire way to guarantee you will never achieve them and can indicate hesitance on your part.
We make time for the things we truly prioritize, so ask yourself, “What is more important to me than achieving my goals?”
It is not a crime to have other priorities in your life — in fact, it is a necessity.
Be honest with yourself about what comes first, however, or the shadow’s presence does nothing but darken the path.
The Emotional Rollercoaster
Entrepreneurship is an emotional roller coaster, and it can be difficult to manage the highs and lows.
Many of us are passionate about our goals, and when they don’t materialize as quickly as we would like, it can lead to frustration and disappointment.
Likewise, the path to a brighter future often brings about uncertainty and instability to new travelers.
Entrepreneurs don’t have a boss or supervisor to rely on when things go wrong.
You are solely responsible for your success, and when there is great pressure to succeed, your setbacks can be crushing.
The shadow of entrepreneurship can leave you feeling overwhelmed and defeated.
So much so, that the likelihood you will develop poor mental health (specifically, comorbidity between depression and anxiety) is exceptionally high.
Emotional dysregulation can corrupt you from the inside out, making the path forward far harder than it needs to be.
When facing difficulty, it is essential that we practice self-care and learn to regulate our emotions, so that we can weather storms both internal and external.
Self-mastery is a skill that takes time to grasp but allows us to better ourselves, our relationships, and our environment.
Social Circle
It is often said that it is the loneliest at the top.
As we strive to enrich our lives, we are set on an accelerated path.
This path can be daunting not only for ourselves but for our loved ones, too.
Unwittingly, our well-meaning loved ones may become the resistance we meet while pursuing our dreams.
It can be difficult for those that haven’t walked our path to understand what we are going through, and this can lead to our shadows instilling us with a sense of isolation.
This is why having a social circle of like-minded individuals is essential for entrepreneurs.
We need people who understand our struggles, who are not afraid to challenge us, and who will encourage us on our journey.
Without this kind of community, it can be hard to stay motivated.
As we rise to our greatest potential, the people around us will either rise with us or remain stagnant.
One of the worst mistakes we can make as entrepreneurs is staying stagnant for the sake of maintaining our social circle.
Success and Identity
Money is an integral part of our lives and for entrepreneurs, it is a necessary factor in achieving our goals.
Money is our single largest stressor and anxiety.
Not having enough to sustain ourselves can be debilitating, and having too much can cause us to lose sight of why we began down the path of abundance.
Many entrepreneurs tie their self-worth to their net worth, as we see the direct effect our efforts have on our success.
The shadow of entrepreneurship follows us, emphasizing fear and scarcity instead of abundance and possibility.
It tells us that if we don’t have enough money to make our dreams come true and worse, we are of less valuable because of it.
What many often misunderstand is just how malleable our sense of identity can be.
If something as trivial as money can shift the way we see ourselves, then so, too, can we drastically shift our sense of self.
We are who we decide to be – and to succeed, we must be willing to evolve into the best possible version of ourselves.
The Light
The light of entrepreneurship is within us — it’s the passion that drives us forward, even when it feels as though we have reached a dead end.
We become that light through our own courage, confidence and resilience.
Our personal growth feeds our flame more than any other work we do, as it allows us to understand our weaknesses and strengths, and to use them to our advantage.
The shadow of entrepreneurship is daunting, it’s true.
But it is also an opportunity for us to become the best version of ourselves.
An opportunity to leave the world better than we found it.
An opportunity to create something that’s bigger than ourselves.
An opportunity to make a positive impact on millions of lives.
An opportunity to create an abundant and memorable life with your family.
What’s that worth to you?
It is a reminder that we are capable of greatness, and that we are the captains of our own ship.
We must remember that the shadow is not a burden, but a part of the process. The shadows we face help us to grow, learn and overcome our obstacles.
We must be brave and accept the challenge that comes with forging a new path, for it is then and only then that we will reach our full potential.
Never be discouraged by the challenges you face. Everyone knows that a large shadow only comes when there is vast, vibrant light.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dark-side-entrepreneurship-ryan-blair
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