“The Problem is an Opportunity” 

 I didn’t know that I would be living that principle nearly every day. Building my own business has forced me to face “the problem” of my own fears and insecurities. Before I started on this journey, I had no idea how much internal resistance I would face and how much I would be challenged to grow. It seemed like every time I turned around I encounter another barrier… most of them self-induced!

Gradually, it became clear to me that I was getting in my own way. I noticed that often I would take the wrong actions (the ones that were easier) or choose to go at it alone instead of reaching out to others. At first, I thought I had many problems–but after awhile I realized that they all boiled down to this: I wasn’t taking courageous action in my business–the action that involved making the tough phone call or making an offer. What was stopping me were three BIG internal issues: my perfectionism, my reluctance to ask for help, and disbelieving my own value.

The funny thing is, at first, I didn’t even notice what was stopping me. After all, wasn’t playing around for six hours on a brochure design fun and interesting? I kept trying the same solutions over and over again too. How many times could I redo the headline font of my website before I realized it just wasn’t going to bring business in the door? Perhaps if I added one more personal certification, degree or set of letters after my name, that would give me the confidence to make an offer or (heaven forbid) ask for money for my services.

 Good grief.

Does insecurity, fear or self-doubt ever stop you from taking action?

If so, you are not alone! No matter how detailed a business plan or how stellar your marketing strategy, if self-doubt, or other negative triggers arise, they’ll stop you from taking the tough action.

That’s where my permaculture principle comes in:
The Problem is an Opportunity 

What if you could choose to see what’s currently keeping you stuck as an opportunity?  Each problem is an opportunity to see what is REALLY holding us back.