3 days...it took to crash a wall of confidence. 3 non-consecutive days but consecutive events to cripple years of effort and turn a castle into dust. All it took was a piercing bullet of doubt, a poor support system and overthinking to implode it. Let's evaluate the state of doubt in an entrepreneur's story.

DAY 1: It has to be done this way, can't you see? In moving a few steps forward, we can create a gap for others to follow. That won't work, have you thought of their level of understanding or who you will upset bringing this revolutionary idea to light? The fact that you think so, tells me I am in the wrong room. How will you see this brought to light? Is the benefit not clear to the masses? The benefit is clear, I just feel there are safer things we could do than something so bodacious. Ok I will consider your concerns but if we keep under the radar all the time, we won't light the way for others as we promised...

DAY 2: I am here to inform you of and discuss an opportunity to highlight our city by inviting key players in the business world to inspire our youths to be greater than the community allows. Who are you to say the community limits the youths? How will you bring our city which is already world known for X thing. Exactly my point! X thing and X thing alone is not enough to satisfy the growing population. It's time to inspire the youths and bring a new wave of thinking and careers into play in this great city. Let our neighbors look to us for xyz. This is a waste of time, there is no opportunity here...

DAY 3: I am sorry to announce we will be canceling xyz project. I apologize for carrying you all along and not fulfilling what I promised. Are you giving up? After everything we put into this? I am afraid I must, for I cannot risk it all...

Doubt is an internal disease. Internal because it causes harm the minute you let it into your space of tranquility and allow it to damage your stronghold, allow it to weaken your faith, allow it to recreate what was perfect in the first place. Failure is easy. It erupts after an event but doubt is the soul killer and this we must be careful of as it leads to giving up, it leads to not understanding the purpose of failure!

As a scientist of business, you have to be brave to withstand the voices outside and inside telling you that you will fail. Imagine if you never believed what anyone said negatively about your new idea, something they have never experienced to adequately pass judgment on its level of success or failure? Review the question- note it implies no one has a right to judge your ideas, not even you! You had it for a reason, now stop making excuses, have faith and get it done!

If these words echoed within our entrepreneur before those 3 days, how do you think each of those conversations would go? We doubt because we over-promise, we are alone, we are afraid, we lack confidence and replace it with arrogance, more so- we did not uphold our faith!

When you feel overwhelmed, look to your supporters club. They will seldom be those closest to you. It maybe that stranger you just met or a friend from the past who always believed in you, that Fellow upstairs that streamed the idea to you. Entrepreneurs change the world, just like scientists have always done BUT, they only succeeded by having faith in not only their ideas but by believing in themselves and a greater power that propels us all to do great things.

written by Adesola Akindele

November 2015

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