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I am scared. Terrified, in fact. Riddled with fears.
I’m in a very strange position right now. Trying to figure out what to do with this next stage in my life.
On one hand, I could take the “easy” route. I could job hunt like crazy and just take whatever work is available to me that will most handily pay the bills. There’s nothing wrong with this choice. It’s been the one I’ve been making for most of my adult life. And it’s the choice most people make when they’re looking for employment.
But it’s the safe path. And the path that will likely get you the least amount of joy and fulfillment. The path that will keep you making just enough to survive for as long as possible.
But it’s also the route that better guarantees a steady income, provides various benefits, and helps to slowly build a pension.
What Other Choice Is There?
Why might I choose to build a business instead of just “getting a job”?
There are countless reasons. It could be the secret to a secure and abundant income. It could make waking up every day a thrilling and profound experience, as you do something you know you enjoy and want to get better at. And, of course, you are your own boss. If you decide one day not to work, that is your own choice. You can hire and fire at will. You control the happiness of the work environment. It’s yours and yours alone.
So with all those amazing benefits, why am I not just abandoning the corporate monster and diving into my own world without hesitation? In hours, I could be building a health and fitness coaching business that is thriving and is changing the lives of countless people. Why would I not rush and make this a reality right away?
One word: Fear.
What All Self-Help Says
I read a lot of non-fiction, and one thread that seems to tie the world of money making together with the world of self-help is the need to just do it.
Just do it!
If you want to get something in life, you need to abandon all fears. You need to fight against that nagging voice in your head that says it can’t happen. You need to throw all concerns to the wayside and just dive right in to your new life.
Sadly, the voice that says why not do what you want is so much louder and more powerful than the one that says to get up off your ass and make a difference.
Yes, there is that petite and solemn voice that tells me every morning that I’ve turned my own life around in so many ways, and I could do this for others as well. And I want to listen to it. I try to listen.
The Voices and the Fears
But then it gets shouted down by this overwhelming torrent of negativity.
How could you train other people? You haven’t achieved your own goals yet! You still have weight to lose. You’re not as strong as you’d like to be. You have so many different skills you aren’t even close to mastering. These are not the traits people are looking for when seeking someone to help them get to their next level.
And what about your credentials? You have a BA in Judaic Studies and a Masters in Education. Yes, you were certified as a personal trainer, but it’s expired. And your tech certifications, rabbinic ordination, and bartender license aren’t exactly helping people get into the greatest shape of their lives. Where’s your real credentials? How could you possibly give people the help they need without the right pieces of paper hanging on your wall?
And what makes you think you can get people to come to you? Your marketing skills are mediocre, at best. Your blog is not mainstream. Your books aren’t being bought up by the masses. Your stock photography and print on demand endeavors aren’t exactly lining your pockets with gold. What makes you think you can convince anyone at all to come in through the front door?
Break Through The Fears?
And what happens when all or any of the fears come to fruition? The paychecks aren’t there. The pension isn’t getting filled. But the bills keep coming in. Rent still needs to be paid. Electricity, water, gas, phone, internet, and on and on and on. Nothing changes just because my life was uprooted and I decided to take the exciting but extremely risky path.
What gets someone to break through the fears? I know with enough concerted time and effort, my abilities are virtually limitless. I could figure out how to start a business. I can use the knowledge and abilities I already have, and even though there’s an endless array of what else I could and should learn, I am more than happy to dedicate myself to gaining that education. Not only do I think I can create a great product, but I feel strongly that I can market the hell out of it as well. Effectively. Marketing fascinates me, and I’d be happy to hone my skills.
Just Waiting for the Spark
But more than anything: I know I can help make people’s lives better. If I went back in time, before I was diagnosed with Diabetes, health and fitness were not part of my life. And I couldn’t imagine they’d ever be. But God knows I wish I could go back in time and shake the younger me into realizing the damage I was doing.
If only I had someone in my life who could have motivated me to be a better version of myself, I can’t even fathom how far I would have gotten by this point.
And I want to be that for other people. I want to see the look on someone’s face after I’ve helped them shed the twenty pounds they couldn’t shake for the past decade. I want someone to come to me thanking me for helping them get an extra several years with their children, and happier, healthier years at that.
And I want to do all of this without a boss breathing down my neck. I want freedom. I want space. I want the world at my fingertips. Finally.
All I need to do is break through the fears.
All I need to know is how to fight against the patterns I’ve formed and the trajectory I’ve been on my entire adult life.
Wish me luck!
