Enterprising woman: discover the urgent need for discomfort
Many times, the enterprising woman tends to avoid - even if unconsciously - situations that make her uncomfortable. The price you pay for not facing these challenges is very high: fewer customers, less income and the stagnation of your business. Here's an inspiring story that will help you see your business challenges from a totally different angle.
Are there some aspects of your business that make you extremely uncomfortable?
If so, today I want to tell you an inspiring story to help you change your way of thinking about the challenges you are facing in your online business and that are preventing you from achieving your success. (From Mark Batterson's “In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day”)
This story was key in my way of facing the challenges of my business and my daily life. It helped me understand the need to be uncomfortable, embrace difficult situations, and overcome obstacles once and for all, rather than running away from them.
In the Bible there is a little-known account of a great warrior, named Benaiah, who lived in the time of King David, in Israel:
"Benaiah… killed two lions from Moab; and he himself descended and killed a lion in the middle of a moat when it was snowing… This was done by Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he gained renown with the three mighty men… And David put him as head of his personal guard. (Full story in 2 Samuel, 20-23)
Benaía evidently had no problems with the lions. First he killed two in Moab and then he did an amazing thing: he chased and killed another lion that got into a pit while it was snowing!
In my opinion, coming face to face with a roaring lion in full sun is already terrible enough. Who would want to expose themselves to a living lion in the middle of a den? And if it was snowing, wasn't it a good time to forget about the lion and go home, to weather the bad weather?
But Benaías knew the secret to embrace the challenges instead of fleeing from them.
He didn't even use the bad weather excuse to evade the lion. Deliberately she followed him, got into the pit and killed him at once. We see that his feat was recognized by King David and that he was appointed chief of his national guard.
Although you are unlikely to have to fight a real lion in your life, there are situations in your online business that are roaring and driving you away from taking actions that could propel you to a whole new level for you and your business.
For example:
- Increase your prices. Contact new strategic alliances to expand your market. Talk and sell in public.
Here are three useful facts to face your lions daily, if you think you are evading these situations - or similar situations -, even if unconsciously:
1. Acknowledge your fears.
Write down the actions that you already know you should take to increase your income, but that you have never done, for some reason (useful fact: those reasons are excuses!).
2. Visualize your victory.
Think what would happen if your fears were not true and if you could really overcome that obstacle and close the sale, fascinate your audience when you speak and easily create new contacts for your business.
3. Attack.
Just as Benaías did, attack and knock down your obstacle, without excuses, even if it seems difficult to achieve.
Don't avoid that challenge. Pursue it and confront it, to quickly get it out of the way.
Practice daily the habit of placing yourself in uncomfortable situations that will force you to stretch and grow. Very soon you will see that you will be "promoted", just like our hero Benaías.
Your courage will be reflected directly in your number of clients, in the amount of your income and in your level of personal satisfaction!
