The 4 Mirrors of Entrepreneurial Truth

Like a child waking up on Christmas morning, when an entrepreneur makes the commitment to start a new venture, the excitement is palpable. There is a rush of anticipation that flows through you that expands at the possibilities of the future.
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Like a child waking up on Christmas morning, when an entrepreneur makes the commitment to start a new venture, the excitement is palpable. There is a rush of anticipation that flows through you that expands at the possibilities of the future. Yet like any new journey, you don't know what you don't know until you get into it. When I began my journey of entrepreneurship back in 2008, I didn't realize that what I didn't know, was a lot!

The road of entrepreneurship has twists and turns, dead ends, U-turns and sometimes you get to a fork in the road without any signage to help you along the way. This would be the time when you need your 4 mirrors the most.

There is a basic lesson at the heart of it all - your external life is a mirror of your internal environment. The people, places and situations in your life today are direct reflections of your own beliefs and thought patterns.

Here are your 4 Mirrors of Entrepreneurial Truth:

1. Your Close Friends

Most of us are blessed to have a few good friends who really know us. They have been there with you through many of life's tough times and great times. They sense when you are down, even when you tell them you are feeling great. They will also tell you when they are worried about you.

A few years ago, I had three of those friends tell me of their worry for me because things were so bad they had to speak up. I'll never forget it. I wanted to tell them things were getting better and that I appreciated their concern, but I couldn't lie anymore. They were right. It was time to face the facts.

2. Your Family

This mirror is a tricky one because often times when you start a business you can feel like no one understands you, especially your family. But when it comes down to it, you know they see the truth.

I remember sitting in the parking lot of my local mall and receiving a call from my eldest sister. She said, "Jennifer, I am worried about you. You don't seem happy." and I remember that sinking feeling in my gut...that tiny voice that knew, she was right.

3. Your Results

Every entrepreneur knows there is always an incubation period. That time when the bank account isn't looking bountiful, usually when we are creating, learning and getting things going. For this mirror to work, I am talking about the point where you know things really should be better, but they just aren't and your bank account continues to confirm it. It is that moment when you need to take a look at that mirror and decide that something has to change.

This is a mirror I tried to ignore for too long. I believed in the power of living my passions and that when I followed my heart, the money would come. However, I learned that sometimes the money doesn't show up right away and that was when I needed to look at this mirror and make some new choices. This one was tough for me. But once I got real with money, it got more real with me.

4. Your Gut

Nobody knows what is better for you than you. The funny thing about this mirror is that it is the one with the most truth and power, yet it is also the one we sometimes most try to disregard. You know that voice inside of your head? The one that is whispering to you? That's the one. Some call it intuition, the universe, God or even your higher self. No matter what you call it, you have it. And when you are ignoring it, things are probably not going well.

I remember I turned my back on my own intuition on leaving my first business for about a year and a half too long. It was my first shot at entrepreneurship and I had my pride. My pride and ignoring this mirror cost me tens of thousands of dollars as well as the potential profits of moving on sooner.

Despite their brutal honesty, these mirrors are gifts. It is so easy to get caught up in the sexiness of being an entrepreneur. The title alone is intoxicating at times, but just like being a movie star, there's more than the glitz and glam of what everybody sees. When things aren't going great, especially when you don't want to admit it, these 4 mirrors will serve you to look at what is real and what you can do to make a positive change.

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