How to overcome the fear of becoming an entrepreneur
Why so many people are captives in the 9 to 5 system?
Even when I was a child and didn’t realize much about life, I still remember the sacrifices my parents made for me. I am not even sure if today I should laugh or cry at some memories:
- My first contact with the media was a small black and white TV(no, I was not born 50 years ago); it was actually in 94', and I was just four years old. PS: I was the remote control :D
- We had our first colour TV when I was about ten years old, and it wasn’t even a new one, and my parents bought it in instalments.
- I had my first computer when I was about 13, in 2003; again, my parents bought it with credit.
- For most of my childhood, I remember eating food from the countryside. My grandparents sent food monthly because buying food in supermarkets was too costly. I am grateful for that because it was much healthier to eat organic meat and vegetables than all the stuff found now in the shops.
I used to tell my parents that maybe they should start a business like some of our neighbours and get some extra income. They were so stressed about paying the banks every month.
What was their answer?
“ — Go to school and learn hard, and you will have the chance to get better jobs than us. You will have a better life.”
“ — Holding a pen is much easier than holding a shovel !!!
“ — Doing business is for rich people. Money comes from money”
They were right, somehow. I couldn’t argue with those statements at that time.
After all, no one in our family, from my great-grandfathers to myself, had ever done any business. No other relatives were involved or even thinking about doing business.
Everyone was grafting hard at work and pushing their children at home to follow higher education so they could have “a better life”.
And I can add more and more to that story. But today, I am grateful that, even though I was born into a modest family, I have always had whatever I needed.
But today is not about ME. It is about US.
Some of us went to a good school, got a university degree, and followed a promising career, thanks to our hard-working parents, who struggled all their life to pay mortgages and credits.
They taught us that all we need is to go to school and get good grades, from generation to generation. Then, after that, get a good job and stay away from debt as much as possible.
And, of course, the occasional “Stay away from drugs”, “ Stay away from clubs”, etc.
YES! I agree with all that. It works. But not for everyone.
What if you do not like something in particular during school like I did? I used to be good at most of the stuff in school, but I was never passionate about just one thing in particular.
What if you cannot afford to go to a good school and then get a “good” degree. You know what degree I am talking about: the one that your parents love the most hearing about: D-O-C-T-O-R, or L-A-W-Y-E-R, or engineer or accountant. You know what I mean.
Like there is nothing else on this planet. Like being a mechanic or a plumber is a shame, or pursuing your creative side and becoming a designer or a singer. Every job is essential, and you should be proud of it. There is no one lower or higher. This is all nonsense. Farmers in Switzerland are wealthy, far beyond any doctors there. Countless actors are millionaires, while university graduates struggle to pay for their student finance.
If there is one thing I know for sure in this life, it is this:
If you are good at something and you love what you are doing, you are guaranteed to be successful.
There are no BUT’S and IF’s. It is just a matter of perspective. If you think you can do it, then you can. If you think you cannot, then you cannot. Every time you are RIGHT, but only because you decided to be like that. Remember this.
- YES, you can follow your dream, no matter what.
- And YES, you will be successful. But, you have to wish for it.
- NO, you don’t need to be rich or have wealthy parents.
- And NO, you do not even need a good university degree or any degree at all.
All you need is to find your true passion. Find what you truly liked to do as a child.
For example, when I was a child, I wanted to stay inside and read books and write. The only thing I enjoyed later in school was learning foreign languages. Today, I know six languages, and I am a freelance translator and transcriptionist.
I recently started to write, and I rediscovered that I love it. So now I want to become a writer as well.
Why? Because there are the things that I used to love as a child, but I didn’t pursue them because everyone was telling me I needed to get a degree and get a proper job.
And guess what? They were wrong. You CAN do what you LOVE, and you can absolutely make MONEY out of it.
As a kid, I was very quiet and shy. My parents thought I was not very friendly and that I should spend more time outside with the other kids; that was something wrong with me. Probably your parents thought the same thing about you.
Let me tell you this:
There is nothing wrong with you.
I am not saying you shouldn’t listen to your parents; please respect them and do NOT judge them. They are doing what they THINK is right for you. However, they are overwhelmed by the same struggles as any other worker: low wages, inflation, debts, lack of opportunities etc. Therefore, they can ONLY tell you what they KNOW.
If someone has never done anything related to that subject, they can only have an OPINION about it, and nothing more.
- Do you want to be good at school? Talk with the top of your class.
- Want to follow a great career? Talk with the person that finished a PhD and has a good position in an international company.
- Want to do business? Talk to a business person.
Success can be copied, just like everything else.
I hope this story will inspire you and give you the courage to start something independently.
Please do not quit your job; I know you have bills to pay. Instead, start small and slowly, slowly, build something on the side.
Make a daily habit out of it, and you will be amazed about the result just one year from now.
I wish you all the best.
