When I was working in the corporate world fifteen years ago, I dreamed of leaving my job to work with my artist husband, Drew.
But truth be told, I was afraid to leave the steady paycheck, the comfort of knowing what to expect every day and all of the benefits that came with working for a corporation.
On the other hand, I yearned to create a business that allowed me to live a life of travel and freedom. I was tired of “clocking in” to a job working for people I didn’t really like and selling a product (insurance) that I didn’t love.
My ultimate fear was that I wouldn’t be able to make money on my own, and that I’d end up destitute! Yes, my mind went to the worst possible scenario.
Drew had begged me for years to quit and come work with him, and I truly wanted to.
But for a long time, I only dreamed about it, too afraid to gather up the courage to trust in myself and my abilities.
Then one day, an ugly fight with a difficult boss was the final straw that gave me a kick in butt to quit. And I did. I never regretted quitting. An amazing lifestyle for myself began the day I left the corporate world.
Recently I was interviewed by Entrepreneur Coach Karen Kalis and we discussed the challenge of “WHAT HOLDS PEOPLE BACK”.
Karen had some great questions for me and they got me to thinking:
What is it that truly holds people back from doing what they love?
In all the years that I’ve been helping creative entrepreneurs, I have learned:
THERE ARE THREE MAIN OBSTACLES that hold people back from realizing their dreams:
1 – Not BEING CLEAR on what you really want
2 – Not truly BELIEVING that you can have what you really want
3 – Not being willing to make a true 100% COMMITMENT to doing what it takes, to create a life that you love
When I was at that corporate job, I was terrified to quit. And when I reflect back on what held me back for so long, I realize that I didn’t truly believe that I could live the life that I now live. I wasn’t seeing how it was possible. Fast forward to today, and I have proved my old self wrong!
PEOPLE DON’T THINK FOR THEMSELVES AND IT HOLDS THEM BACK:
If I dig deeper into this lack of faith in my own abilities, I realize that I wasn’t doing my own thinking. I was buying into the thinking of many people who warned me NOT to leave my comfortable corporate job.
Digging deeper into this concept of not doing my own thinking, I realized that from a young age, we are conditioned to have others do our thinking for us!
Our parents think for us from the time we are born.
Then we go to school and our teachers think for us.
This continues when we get a job; we are told what to do at work and our bosses think for us.
In that sense, it’s only natural to be fearful of coming up with our own ideas that are different from the norm. Such as the idea of being able to create a business where you can sell art, travel and surf around the world, while supporting a family. Or any other “out of the norm” idea you may have.
Here’s an exercise in thinking that I’d like to ask you to try:
Think for a moment, and ask yourself: “What is one thing that I have dreamed of doing for a long time, but haven’t made it happen yet?”
And now ask yourself: “What has been holding me back?”
Explore these questions, take the time to think and write down your answers as they come to you. You may be surprised at what comes up, and when you go deeper into it, you may discover that the thing that is holding you back isn’t a real threat at all.
Please, share in the comments below, the answer to this question:
If you aren’t yet doing what you love, what is it that is holding you back?
And, if you are doing what you love, did you struggle with it in the beginning?
Please share, I would love to hear your thoughts!
With Love,
Maria xxoo
