Emotional Care for Ambitious Entrepreneurs
Today I just want to share a bit of encouragement with you as you face all of the emotions that come with being an entrepreneur. Not only do we have to steward over our businesses but also ourselves.
So here are a few ways you can stay encouraged + keep calm as you chart your path as a CEO. Be sure to share any of your favorite tips with us over on our IG page @pondrblog + pass this along to a fellow Fempreneur.
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When You’re Feeling…
Angry
Anger usually rears its head when we are discontent, annoyed, hurt, offended, or something didn’t turn out the way that we hoped. Anger is oftentimes one of those emotions that we stuff down or feel ashamed to share, especially as leaders. However, it’s perfectly okay to be angry. You just have to be mindful of what you do when you are.
“When anger rises, think of the consequences.” - Confucious
“Whoever is able to anger you is able to control you.” - Lamine Pearlheart
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” - Mark Twain
“You are not the anger; you are the awareness behind the anger. Realize this and anger will no longer control you.” - Eckhart Tolle
“Keep your temper. A decision made in anger is never sound.” - Ford Frick
Self Doubt + Doubters
Self doubt is simply untapped potential + unfinished actions. The truth is the doubt stops once you start. Action will answer all of doubt’s questions.
“Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is believing you’re worth the trip.” - Glenn Beck
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” - Hanoch McCarty
“Doubting yourself is normal. Letting it stop you from taking action is a choice.” - Mel Robbins
{For the Doubters} “It’s easier to critique than create.” - Linda Rappoport
Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth.” - Zig Ziglar
Impatient
Probably the most bittersweet part about business is when you have to wait. Whether you’re waiting on an opportunity to align for you, or waiting for your dreams to come to pass as you show up daily. The truth is no matter who you are or how much you do, EVERYONE has to wait on something in life. So even though patience sometimes sounds like a curse word, it’s one of those aspects of life that we have to master.
Patience is literally defined as “waiting + suffering through difficulty without complaint or annoyance.” We hear that patience is an attitude + it can sound like a cliche but it’s true. Patience isn’t about how long you can wait, it’s about HOW you wait. All in all, do you want to stress your way to your goals or savor life along the way? The choice is ours to make.
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” - Sam Levenson
“Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished.” - Lao Tzu
“Patience is also a form of action.” - Auguste Rodin
“Patience isn’t a privilege; it’s a part of life.” - Jasmine Jane’
“Have patience with all things but first of all with yourself.” - Francis de Sales
Down + Depressed
Sometimes our sadness can stem from distress, disappointment, loss, or misfortune. We lose people, opportunities, freedoms, fights, + even battles within ourselves. These typically aren’t our favorite parts of life to deal with but the truth is it all happens beyond our power.
One thing I learned about sadness + depression is that acceptance can be a comfort. A lot of what we distress over is due to the fact that we hate it happened in the first place. Or we simply feel like it shouldn’t happen to us. Some parts of life are lovely + some parts of life can make us feel low. However it can help to think of life like a pie with several pieces. We can mourn over certain pieces of the pie but remember there are still other parts that we can savor.
“Hey little fighter, soon things will be brighter.” - unknown
“Some things will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay it’s not the end.” - John Lennon
“Keep in mind that trouble comes to pass, not to stay. No storm, not even the one in your life, can last forever.” - Iyanla Vanzant
“I hope you remember that today is never too late to be brand new.” - Taylor Swift
“He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Anxious about the Future
Let’s face it entrepreneurship comes with risks + risks are bound to bring about anxiety. Anxiety is just your body’s way of trying to keep you safe. In fact Freud believed that anxiety happens between the Id + the Super Ego. The Id carries your impulses + desires while the Superego is the part of us that holds our judgments. So imagine the fight that happens between the 2 when you want to try something new. It is said that it’s our job to speak to our Ego as the mediator between our desires + our skepticisms + to create the PROOF that the choice we’re about to make is the one for us.
However, here’s where anxiety steps in. Anxiety says “well what happens if I make the wrong choice?” The truth is most humans are wired to expect the worst + in a lot of ways the anxiety of making the wrong choice can come from child rearing environments where you were shamed or screamed at for making mistakes. So as an entrepreneur whose sole job description is to LITERALLY take on sole risk, it can be scary for some biz owners to also assume full responsibility for failure.
My advice to you? Release yourself from the kind of pressure + UNREALISTIC expectations that come with trying to avoid mistakes. No one’s path has been straight even if they make it look that way. We live in a modern world that markets through storytelling + the truth is some people may share their success stories while leaving out the parts about the twists + turns. The truth is NO ONE is mistake proof + once you accept this for others + yourself you’ll be a lot less nervous about making a few mistakes on your journey.
“Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one.” - Max Lucado
“Anxiety doesn’t come from thinking about the future but from wanting to control it.” - Hugh Prather
“This {anxiety} is not you. It is something moving through you. It can leave out of the same door it came in.” - Cleo Wade
“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” - Roy T. Bennett
“Anxiety has a place but you can not give it the power to derail your plans.” - Jasmine Jane’
I’m PRADA YOU
All in all, you may not ever know if you CAN make all of your dreams come true but, if you don’t move forward you’ll never find out the magnitude of what you can do.
Here’s the good news, you don’t have to walk this journey alone. You can’t prepare for everything as an entrepreneur but you can always be proud of how hard you’re trying each day + try to have peace along the way.
That’s why I’ve created a Free “Stress Less Guide” detailing 10 creative ways ambitious CEOs like you can keep calm as you grow your Fempire.
As for the woman who is ready to enjoy life as she excels, you can access my 52 week Fun with Loved Ones Guide filled with an entire year of fun leisure activities you can add into your schedule so you won’t miss out on precious memories with your loved ones as you’re building your biz.
As your coach, I must say you’re much closer to success than you think! Reading helpful info like this is proof that you care to keep going.
If you need encouragement as you’re building your biz be sure to stay connected to the #CalmCEO community over @pondrblog on IG + Pinterest + remember that you are destined to enjoy life as you excel!