When creation and business converge
Are you an entrepreneur? Some can confidently say that they are, in fact, an entrepreneur, but most of us would hesitate. The difference lies not only in knowing the definition, but also in enduring the hardship and hurdling obstacles that tend to revolve around money. Their charisma stems from their creative mind, observing the world through a different lens – but at what cost? The entrepreneurial role entails many challenges and obstacles, such as intermittent income, that is usually followed by a surge of self-sabotage and negativity. The ugly truth behind the successes of entrepreneurship is revealed especially when dealing with suffocating financial dilemmas. The price people pay for unleashing their mind seem quite high; however, the beauty lies in our ability to acknowledge the difficulties without crumbling into a void of uncertainty.
The dualistic nature of humanity can be seen through numerous aspects of daily life, including how we balance financial and emotional issues. Kevin Leyes, the Chairman of Leyes Enterprises and CEO of Team Leyes, writes that “failure is a reality” for entrepreneurship (Leyes, 2020). While some may think that having a brilliant idea is enough for you to plan a business, Leyes emphasizes having a feasible yet unique idea is as hard as generating income. Similarly, the optimistic view of entrepreneurship can easily be crushed by reality – the balance of expectation and rationalization becomes important to keep one’s financial and mental health well.
One of the reasons why we see the world through a skewed lens is because of the expectations we set. Some see it as reinforcing push to achieve our goals. Others see it as the ultimate source of frustration and agony. There is no denial that expectations do push us to do our best and to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves; however, neglecting the unhealthy aspects of it can be detrimental to our wellbeing as well. Realizing and adopting duality of expectation and rationalization plays a vital role in creating a balance to view reality in ways that are not harmful to our minds. When you put expectation and rationalization on a scale, one can imagine that expectations are filled with a false sense of truth that has been attributed to an arbitrary entity or belief. On the other hand, rationalization can lead to a different kind of myopic perspective of reality in a way which every behavior is explainable and justifiable. Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist, suggested “magical thinking”, which is children believing that their thoughts can influence reality (2). However, he forgot to mention that some adults also struggle to differentiate between thoughts/expectations and reality. Independent business owners can set up a series of expectations just for them to be obliterated by the cruel truth of the society we live in. Just like the wisdom that finds a balance between reason and emotion, it is equally important to find a middle ground in order to prevent money issues from taking over one’s mind.
The flexibility and the independence of entrepreneurship comes with a great cost. However, it is important to note that embracing the above mentioned dualities can help mitigate financial stressors that may be accompanied by being an entrepreneur. It is not to say that all problems will be solved through these new views; however, it gives another perspective to face the problem at hand and navigate through it to reach the optimum goal.
References:
- Leyes, K. (2020, June 17). 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Dark Side of Entrepreneurship. Retrieved January 27, 2021, from https://www.influencive.com/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-dark-side-of-entrepreneurship/
- Johnson, J. A. (n.d.). The psychology of expectations. Psychology Today. Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/cui-bono/201802/the-psychology-expectations