How Entrepreneurship Can Ignite Personal Transformation
When we step into entrepreneurship, there are things we expect to tackle to run a business & find success; Skillset, finances, product lines or services, customer service, marketing, and everything in between.
What we might not expect is how all of those decisions, beliefs, and actions we take on the entrepreneurial journey, can ignite personal transformation & healing.
I wrote about something similar in another post but wanted to approach it once more from a personal & spiritual perspective on how entrepreneurship can really inspire personal healing. If we allow it.
This post is purely based on personal experience, thoughts, opinions, & general musings. It is not fact. Please take what resonates & leave the rest. Professional medical or psychological advice is always encouraged if you are struggling. Please do not use this post as a substitute for that.
“Personal healing work requires us to turn the lens on ourselves for a moment to consciously pull apart our inner foundation and unravel our belief systems, to put it back together in a better, more solid way. ”
When entrepreneurship goes wrong
When things aren’t going as well as we’d like in business, we tend to blame the external factors; Economy, buyer behaviour, location, platforms, algorithms, business partners, creative blocks. (Maybe that’s just me?)
While, yes, sometimes those factors do need to be fixed, changed, or be a certain way in order for us to see results we’re looking for, it’s dangerous to solely rely on that to help our business succeed.
When we’re at the whims of these external factors, it puts the power of “change” in someone or something else’s hands. It makes us reliant on something we can’t control or change in order for us to feel ok. Or to be successful.
External factors like nature, is ever-changing and will always impact & influence in ways we don’t expect or can’t predict. Sometimes it works in our favor. Other times, not.
So when things don’t work in our favor, in spite of our best efforts, it opens up the opportunity to look at ourselves, our choices, & strategy to ensure we’re not the one’s getting in our own way. And this can lead to some personally transformative moments.
But doing that work does not come without some risk.
The “risk” of personal transformation
Work that is transformative in the long-term and will help us bring more of our dreams to life, can seem risky.
Not only is it hard work, it takes time. Effort. Requires us to turn the lens on ourselves for a moment to consciously pull apart our inner foundation and unravel our belief systems to put it back together in a better, more solid way.
It also might require us to let go of what we expected things to look like. And even let go of our big dreams for the time being to find a way to survive in the short-term. There is no shame in that.
With all of that comes the fear of change as we step WAY out of our comfort zone to explore something brand new to us.
It’s not like travel. Where we go somewhere we’ve never been and return home again.
This work requires us to change what “home” looks like.
From physical environment to business and personal relationships, we fear what else will change beyond how we think & feel. And we wonder if the results will be “better than” what one might be currently experiencing.
There are no guarantees. And results are completely unpredictable.
That’s A LOT of risk for a very uncertain outcome.
As if business wasn’t hard enough!
But, sometimes, it’s a must if we want to succeed beyond our current circumstances and when nothing else seems to be working.
If we are doing this work for the greater good, then we must believe that the best results WILL follow. It might just be a little uncomfortable before we get there.
Transforming ourselves to transform our business
In tarot, we call this work “shadow” and “light” work.
Shadow work is where we look at the sides of ourselves that are hidden or put away due to fear or pain. These darker parts (limiting beliefs, pain, unhealthy mindsets) may protect us from future hurt but it can also hinder us as it secretly drive our decisions and influence how we feel about someone or something - even ourselves.
Seeing life through this lens could cloud our judgement, have us reacting from anger, keep us in isolation, or stop us from living the life we truly want to live. These darker parts can start affecting our lives negatively if they aren’t processed or healed and prevent us from the success we want and deserve.
Light work, on the other hand, is where we “feed our light”. We develop ourselves spiritually by tapping into our higher selves to heal and grow as a human. This requires a certain level of vulnerability and openness to learn – even if our belief system tells us otherwise.
Light work can come in many forms like energy healing (reiki), meditation, therapy, journalling, art, affirmations.
Because this work is nuanced, personal, and challenging to understand or put into practice, most of us can’t (and maybe shouldn’t) do this healing work alone.
When entrepreneurship inspires personal healing
I started to see my ‘shadow side’ more when I started my 3rd year of full-time entrepreneurship.
As my business started seeing some significant challenges and changes that were externally influenced, my fears, limiting beliefs, values, and low self worth came rushing to the forefront.
These kept me in a loop of wanting something more and not being able to (or having the belief I could) reach it. It even had me doing more of the things that wasn’t working due to panic & fear, which took me off track.
This frustrated me and caused anxiety. It made me feel hopeless & stuck. Creatively blocked. Tired.
None of that was serving my greater good.
Eventually, I got to a point where I wanted that to change that narrative so I started looking to myself to change and heal what was holding me back.
But how?
Receiving help
Over many years, I found it helpful (& was in a very privileged position) to enlist the help of a life coach, business mindset coach, and therapist (not all at once) to help me truly understand the different facets of myself and how I can shift things for the better.
This was and is tough work.
I discovered patterns I wasn’t aware of. Beliefs that directly impacted how I made decisions in my business. And the darker parts that kept me from feeling “enough” or fearful about putting myself out there after some challenging setbacks.
Therapy and life coaching was, at one point, out of reach for me.
If that’s the case for you, I would still recommend reaching out to a coach or therapist that calls you and ask about payment plans or a reduced rate based on personal financial circumstances. I found that some offer reduced rates, which they may not advertise on their website. Just be honest and be willing to share your challenges.
There are also free options for this support in the form of YouTube videos, blogs, and even books – as a starting point. Try second hand book stores or even the library if you’re on a limited budget.
Failing that, I would recommend joining a spiritual circle, meditation group, or some other support group in your community. This would provide support from others, in a safe & nurturing space, who may have gone through or are experiencing something similar.
Finding spiritual practices
Spiritual practices are something new I added to the mix in 2023 after I felt like I had exhausted what my coaching and therapy could offer for the moment.
From past life regression therapy to reiki. Meditation and interpretive yoga movement to attending monthly spiritual circles. I’m trying it all without judgement or expectations!
As of May, I also reconnected with my love for reading tarot and have been using those tarot readings for shadow work, entrepreneurship challenges, and personal healing. I’ve even started a YouTube channel to share this passion with others!
All of it is helping me heal, allow me to release what no longer serves me for my greater good, and is helping me to connect with my true, authentic self without permission or apology.
If this work interests you, I encourage you to explore a bit outside of your comfort zone to discover what practices, routines, affirmations make you feel whole, joyful, and loved.
A healing journey that’s yours
This healing journey is complex because it is a journey & a process of self-discovery than it is a singular decision we make, like what to have for dinner.
This work is ongoing and imperfect. But that doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding.
This investment has, so far, been a worthwhile endeavour as I’ve already started seeing positive shifts in my business & in the vision I hold for myself.
I’m finding new opportunities I never would have “seen” otherwise. I’m charging what I feel I’m worth vs. trying to “please” & low-ball my worth to land the job. I’m feeling more grounded and clear in my day-to-day life. All leading to a richer and less fearful experience in business and life.
Even though I’m actively participating in this journey, I still experience setbacks. Rough days. Dark moments. Difficult decisions. Emotional breakdowns. But, that is the human experience I suppose.
And, it has been MY experience.
The most important thing in this healing journey is to find what works for you and be patient in that process.
It takes time, many failed attempts, and a lot of letting go to discover a transformative you. It also requires vulnerability, a release of expectations, looking at some hard truths, and offering yourself compassion to help you along the way.
And the changes we make and transitions we experience, don’t have to be drastic. Or dramatic. Unless it’s necessary or what you truly desire.
It can be subtle. Soft. Slow. This is your healing journey after all.
In the end, we can only hope to be 1% better than yesterday for our business, the people around us, and…most importantly, for ourselves.
Who would have thought business would inspire THIS kind of work?
Feel free to comment below to share your experience with personal transformations while running a business.
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