I chose to lie, that’s how I survive as an entrepreneur

Superman

2017 has been a thrilling ride, I am both excited and excited up to this point (yes, twice the excitement). Sometimes I laugh at myself on how stupid I am to start my own business. See, running a business is filled with uncertainty especially an upstart like mine in a competitive tech world and lack of financial stability. In the roller coaster of having to be a tower of strength, a leader and innovator, a magician(conjuring up pay rises, resources and extra staff at the drop of a hat), a kind brother, a shoulder to cry on, a dynamic motivator, a stern but fair judge, a diplomat, a politician, a financial wizard, a protector, a savior and a saint, or sometimes I even have to be Santa Claus. So I have times whereby I liken myself to superman, it makes sense to me as a founder of an upstart.

Being responsible for a whole gang of people which includes staff, clients, and the board. I have to coax out of them a decent experience and days of work. I have to ensure that they don’t eat themselves up, be an advocate for both sides and miraculously have them both win the case. I have to know their rights, my rights, and the country's law(thank God they don’t have a union… yet!). When the sun sets, I am expected to have a job well done.

Uh… I almost forgot I have to remain cool and calm — I can’t shout or have favorites. This entrepreneurship business is a tall order. Richard Templar further said “The team behaves like small children at times, you can’t smack them. At other times they will behave like petulant teenagers — sleeping in late, not turning up, refusing to do the real work if they do turn up, sloping off early, that sort of a thing”.

Welcome 

It’s depressing, if you have just started a business I would like to welcome you to the jungle. This reminds me of the financial meltdown in 2008, it felt like our financial world was coming to an end.  Barbers and billionaires were all panicking. I remember the headlines of a young man throwing himself over the bridge because the stock market has crashed. If my brother reads this article he would say I am lying because I am not even 20 yet, how do I know this? Well for everyone who knows me that well shut up! (I am kidding) even though I was born and bred in a small township called Phola, I founded an astronomy club when I was in primary school of which I was a chairperson (let’s be fancy and call it CEO). What made me aware of the Great Depression in 2008 was the fact that we were looking for sponsorships and we couldn’t get any then I used my Motorola V360 to get to know what was really happening.

With all of the entrepreneurship turbulence I encounter every day! I chose to lie to myself. See the dude who threw himself over the bridge at night, in the morning the market began to take shape again. In his book as a man thinketh echoing a biblical verse “as a man thinketh so his heart will be” I came to realize that most of the time I was filled with fear. What if I fail? What if I will lose? What if? What if? What if?! James Allen taught me that everything we create in our lives starts with a thought. And Napoleon Hill in his book outwitting the devil also affirmed that fear can be mastered as well and I remember the talk by Les Brown and he said: “FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real”. Thoughts are lies and we choose to view our setbacks as failures or opportunity, we choose to be optimistic when we encounter adversity or pessimistic.

It's about your reaction

I looked at myself in the mirror the other time when I entered my apartment, I was excited about the deal that I have closed and to the contrary a few days back I was having a pity party on how broke I am and the business not doing well I thought to myself I might as well get a job. I realized how stupid I was, nothing has changed. My laptop is still space gray and my glasses are still bronze, nothing has changed. Why am I then excited today? Because I told myself a different story. When I was down and out, I told myself that I am not going to survive as a result I must explore the alternatives. It was not true, but I convinced myself that it’s over. Since thoughts are just lies and have a great impact on our lives. I lie every day to myself and that keeps my impulse healthy and momentum at a peak. No, I don’t have psychosis, I just don’t let the external forces get into me. I have established a firewall around me which protects me from all the negative substances that want to get into my system.

Be careful

To all the entrepreneurs out there, don’t let it get to you. I know it gets too much, but it’s business it doesn’t have any emotions. That’s why it’s important to work on your business, not in your business. If you get stressed in a way you don’t like, get some time out or daydream if you will. Change your thinking, life is bigger than your business. Not letting it get to you doesn’t mean not caring or not taking pride in what you do. No, it means putting things into context so you can go home and switch off. Don’t let it eat away at you, make you unhealthily stressed or overwrought.