Entrepreneurship - Begging, hustling and becoming
When many entrepreneurs start their venture, unbeknown to them, they become beggers. Begging in the sense that they become desperate to sell their product / service, and hustling as a form of manipulation to secure a market, regardless if the customer needs it or not.
I don't judge this 'fake it till you make it' culture of entrepreneurship, as I tenderly hold the deep seated needs which humans have to survive, which express themselves as begging. But I'm more interested in the underlying motivations and consciousness which creates it, and how to resolve living in a state of survival (instead of thriving).
I am separate, in a competitive world of scarce resources - At the core, its this false belief in separateness which creates the underlying conditions of most entrepreneurial failure. We are taught this belief at every level of society, which claims that people are separate beings, fighting for and competing over scarce resources. This false belief system engenders a whole host of underlying fears, which include (this is not an exhaustive list):
Fear of poverty - When rent is threatened, this reinforced belief that I am not supported in this world, places individuals in a permanent state of fight or flight, as if their survival is being threatened. Unfortunately, for many entrepreneurs, this fear is not their own. It's often passed down through their family lineage. Imagine growing up in a family, where your parents are continuously struggling to put food on the table. What this must do to the nervous system and psyche, when fear is the predominant feeling at such a young age.
Fear of rejection and abandonment - Entrepreneurs will be faced with cold calls, speaking on stage, and ultimately consistently facing the unknown as they try to fulfil their dreams. Finding a market, and selling a product can provide the individual with a false sense of self worth, or value. Ultimately, this entrepreneur oten needs consistent attention or a sense of confirmation to fill the void of consistently fighting loss or rejection in their life.
Lack of purpose / meaning - Unless entrepreneurs find meaning in their work, they won't find the internal grit/strength to survive the downturns and tough times. The search for meaning is probably one of the most important journeys an entrepreneur must take to find fulfilment.
Self sufficiency - Neediness in the modern world is now considered a bad thing. Self sufficiency / doing it on your own is more highly valued, over co-dependency or even inter-dependency. Togetherness, community or care for others has taken a back seat.
In the fast paced startup universe of false beliefs like the 'the harder you work, the luckier you become', there hasn't been a space for entrepreneurs to quieten themselves, take a break, soften, listen, feel their fears and pains. Instead, many choose to unconsciously suppress those feelings, drink more coffee, work harder, loose sleep and form shallow relationships.
So, in my experience, many entrepreneurs carry a huge casket of suppressed emotions, which find their way to the surface as stress, anxiety, gut and back issues. These are often only treated medically, but ultimately there is limited success in their personal relationships and ventures.
Until, we as humans, learn to slow down, be kind to ourselves (and others), and become more present with our deepest fears and deepest joys, the universe will continually create repeated conditions in our life until these issues are resolved. In the end, our success is partly (or largely) dependent on forming a closer relationship with ourselves, our unconscious mind, and leading a more balanced life. Once we do this, it creates space for our true, unique and creative selves to start expressing itself. Problems which were previously difficult to solve with the stressed mind, become a breeze, with a still creative mind.
In the end, the more love we can hold, the more beautiful the expression in our work will become. But love is also not a fluffy, vague concept. Love can be putting up clear boundaries with your management team and employees, retrenching people, so you and they can move onto better things. Love can be both joyous, but also can bring pain, if we follow its guidance.
Everything is impermanent, especially in a business. Partners, employees, customers will come and go. And in business, you sit at the centre of a flowing river. Try not hang on the banks, but let it flow in the direction it wants to take you. The question is, are you in tune enough to listen to the flow?
Your business is/can be one of the highest spiritual crucibles for your personal growth. It's not about making money, its about living the highest version of yourself in service to others.