Things don’t happen overnight. Success is fought and won with blood, sweat and tears. Read the biography of anyone who’s ever achieved anything worthwhile and you will discover what I like to call the backstory. All of the hardship, the stumbling blocks and rejections that happened along the way.
Think of Tony Robbins washing dishes in the bathtub. Jay Z starting his own record label because no one would sign him, or Colonel Sanders setting out with his $105 social security check to pitch his chicken recipe at age 62.
And what about J.K. Rowling? Her “rags to riches” story is one of the most remarkable ever. It wasn't the best time to write a book - a jobless single parent with no money in the pocket and a daughter to raise -but she did it anyway. It was a slow process that saw a fair share of failures and hardship. But her resilience, patience and dedication during some the darkest and poorest times in her life paid off. Rock bottom was the solid foundation on which she rebuilt her life.
Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!
As one of my favorite motivational speakers Lisa Nichols put it: “The people with the best stories are the ones who understand that giving birth to a dream cannot happen without taking the pregnancy full-term. They are willing to go through the morning sickness. The emotional roller coasters. The discomfort of having no idea what they’re doing but they are doing it anyway". Being an entrepreneur is a bit like being pregnant all your life.
It takes a huge mental toll and a mindset that others find hard to follow. But when you feel misunderstood, dragged down by the criticism and negativity from others, isolated or hopeless because you have hit rock bottom and no one is there to support you, remind yourself one thing: you are not crazy for embracing uncertainty and sacrifice and chucking in a well-paid job, you are driven by a clear vision and solid purpose.
Whether is a child, a business or a dream, giving birth is not for the faint of heart and there is no such thing as comfortable labor. But it will be worth it.