"I chose to be a founder”
That's the personal mantra I invoke when I start to feel that the entire world is crumbling on top of me.
Eventually, you’ll feel it too as a founder. You have to know and accept that you will:
Fail a lot
Your heart will be broken
You will doubt and question everything
You'll want to throw in the towel
You’ll regret having launched your startup
You’ll feel like a failure
You’ll long for the easier, more confortable and predictable life
In your moments of greatest vulnerability, your mind will want to victimize you.
It will do everything it can to convince you that it’s the world’s fault and you’re not to blame so you can slip into a numbing mental state of victimhood where all you say is “poor me”. Your mind only wants to protect you, but if you let it, it will only weaken you.
Don't take the victim drug.
To avoid falling into that trap and feeling like a victim of circumstance, immediately remember that being a founder is a privilege, not an obligation. Not everyone has the privilege of pursuing their dreams, risking everything, and not perceiving an income.
This privilege is not your fault, but it is your responsibility. And the decision to exercise it is your source of power.
If you don't have the power to control external circumstances, why then would you choose to give them the power to extinguish your spark by being a victim of them?
Yes, being a founder is incredibly challenging, lonely, and miserable. But YOU CHOSE IT.
You are a founder, not a victim and the world is blessed to see you manifest your inner genius - don’t kill it by being mentally weak.
Regain your power by reminding yourself that you have the privilege of being a founder by choice.