Each week, I hear people telling me they want to build their small business, but they don’t (or can’t) move forward on their dreams because they’re afraid.

There are so many things to be afraid of when you’re self-employed: Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of illness, fear of lawsuits. No money, no time, no skills, no help, no support.

Being a small business owner takes a particular type of courage

You have to be willing to take action with no guarantees of success.

You have to be willing to put all your heart and soul into your enterprise, and you have to be willing to face and overcome the roadblocks that get in your way.

You have to be willing to dream big dreams — and have the guts to learn new things that you never knew how to do before.

On top of all that, you need the type of Courage that shouts, “I must do this or I won’t have lived my life purpose!”

It takes strength, focus, and responsibility to succeed or fail on your own merits, and to be willing to ask for help or education when you need it.

Do you have it?

• Do you have the courage to face your fears and keep walking towards your dream anyway?
• Do you have the strength and dignity to act consistently and responsibly towards your business growth, on a daily basis, without whimpering in self-defeating behaviors and excuses?
• Do you have the guts to set a big goal, create reasonable action plans that stretch and challenge you, and move forward on those tasks knowing that you have no guarantee of success?

Every business owner feels fear at one time or another

The next time you hear yourself saying, “I’m afraid,” reply with a knowing smile and say to yourself, “Join the crowd.”

Then, summon up that well of courage and take responsibility to create the life and business you’ve dreamed of.

Because, if you don’t have that type of courage, you probably shouldn’t be self-employed in the first place. Being self-employed is about challenging yourself and the world. It’s not about taking the easy way; it’s about taking the only way that will give you a sense of self-fulfillment and success.

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