From Barriers to Benefits: Finding Success

There is nothing you can’t do that you really want to do. I wrote that because I believe that. I’m always deflated when I talk to people my age and they commend my positive dreamer attitude but lack their own. They might complain about having no leisure money or time to themselves. And then they go back to it. It’s as if they believe their life is so-so at best. This is as good as it’s going to get. “Good” or “bad” is a perception based on attitude. And staying the course in the face of rough times is the only way forward.

The Good, The Bad and The Mindset

By now, you’ve heard that ignorance is bliss. To a man eating delicious “berries” that are actually dried bugs, it is. On a grander scale, the man’s whose pleasures are cheapest enjoys the happier life.

When a person says they want to live a life of private jets, they’re saying, “I want to live a happy, free life.” The things they imagine having are simply symbolic of that happiness. Private jets represent freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want. Freedom is a concept humans have been chasing since the dawn of modern civilization. What you think will make you happy, if you don’t have it, you might be miserable.

“… the kid who gets a fun free game to play finds happiness every ten minutes.”

When you say, “I need a million dollars to be happy,” you are saying, “I don’t have a million dollars, and, therefore, I’m not happy.” One can conclude that if you don’t get a million dollars, you won’t ever be happy. But the kid who gets that $1 pack of gum or a fun free game to play finds happiness every ten minutes.

To be happy, you must change your desires and what you perceive makes you happy. You make hand-knitted sweaters, and getting rich selling them would make you very happy. What makes you happier is seeing kids being kept warm in your sweaters or the pics couples post wearing them. In each of these situations, your sweaters have given someone else a bit of comfort and happiness. This gives you comfort and happiness, boosting your morale in the business.

This is why business owners who really care about the good their products do tend to be successful. As you build anything, there will be hiccups, but the successful stay the course.

Turning Barriers into Benefits

In 2013, the creator of Ring Doorbell Jaime Siminoff was nearly laughed off the popular hit investment show Shark Tank. Following his dreams, Jaime made it to the show, seeking a $700,000 investment for Ring. Instead, Jaime was confronted by millionaires who felt the idea was useless.

I’m sure Jaime’s haters passed out laughing at how the Sharks treated him. The Sharks saw no potential in the idea and wanted no equity in the company. That was good for Jaime. He got to keep more of the $1 billion Amazon bought the Ring company for five years later. In an epic twist of ironic fate, Jaime later returned as a Guest Shark on the show. Remember the reception of your idea depends on the crowd.

That acknowledged, there is always going to be a reason you “can’t” (like having investors shoot you down). So, your job is to find the reason you can. This means not ever making a mistake. You don’t make mistakes. You make decisions and learn from the outcomes, be they good or bad. When you view your “mistakes” as bad decisions, you take accountability.

The business owner who meets these challenges outperforms their competitors overall.

As an example, you might order envelopes for your business and realize when you get them, they’re the wrong ones. This could be a small financial setback, or you can repurpose or return the incorrect ones. Either way, this error might encourage you to double check and keep record of your orders. In the future, you’ll already have a system for inventory management. The business owner who meets new challenges in the moment outperforms their competitors overall.

Also, there will be unforeseeable challenges and foreseeable challenges. For instance, you can’t know that one day, you’ll get so much demand that you need to hire a manufacturer (You can plan for it though). You do know you currently don’t have funding for everything you need.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on utilizing what you do have. Maximize your resources to make the most of everything at your disposal. Uber literally didn’t have a license to operate during a period of time but did so anyhow. Now, admittedly, this is a bad idea, and Uber might have broken some laws. But the company has to be commended for utilizing their app to provide rides to those in need. Even if Uber was doing so in a sketchy fashion, they did it. So, ask yourself, what do I have now, and how can I use it?

What You Have

If you’re reading this, you have a phone or other device and access to the internet. In 1995, this would have been equated with the lifestyle of some middleclass banker. Now, it is the standard for many across the world. It is also a tool to achieve nearly any dream.

Right now, you can start a website or dropshipping company for little to no money. You can take free IT courses with Harvard and even earn certificates. You can start an LLC online in less than thirty minutes. These are all always to earn money or begin a path to achieve any goal or dream.

Having the confidence to talk to a therapist is a habit of happy people.

If you had breakfast today and lunch, you’ve had at least two blessings you should be thankful for. Food fuels you, and a good diet keeps you healthy. Staying properly hydrated ensures your body is rejuvenated down to the cells. When you have good food, enough food, you have the energy to fuel your body. However, you must also be thankful for and fuel your healthy mind.

As you know, your reality starts in your mind. How you react to stressful situations will determine the positive (or negative) outcome. A healthy mind is kept healthy with care, and this means addressing your emotions and talking to a therapist as you feel. Having the confidence to talk to a therapist is a habit of happy people. Everyone has three faces, and you can’t share every face with everyone. Your therapist cares to listen but is also under legal obligations that restrict them from illegally disclosing your conversations. Consider it.

The Takeaway

Just so you know, you’re capable, and there are people silently watching and rooting for you. You have plenty of tools in your arsenal to make anything happen. Your devices and internet access are the tools that made millionaires in the 90s. They continue to do so on a much larger scale today. Use them. Of the tools you have, most importantly, you have a sound mind. That will make all the difference.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.