I read over my previous posts. I wanted to see my mindset. I wanted to understand where I was, and compare it to where I am now. I’m happy to say not much has changed. Most of you would think that means that I have not grown, but to me it means my values and beliefs are intact. It means that the things I believed 2 years ago, the principles I stood on, and the approach I took to life still live within me today. That makes me happy. It means I’m not some fly-by-night entrepreneur and success dealer that gives people what they want to hear when they want/need to hear it. I stand firmly on the words I write, and they are truly the foundation of my success.
Besides the spelling mistakes (embarrassing!) I was intrigued by the article I wrote about Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women. I was obviously a bit disgruntled by the fact that only two women on the list were under 30. Now that I am 30, has my perspective changed? A bit, but the ideas remain the same. Success and Power should not be directly linked to age. Often times they are, and I believe that’s unfair. The only nod I give to age when it comes to success is that it often directly relates to maturity. In order to be successful you do have to be mature (but more on that in another post).
I can say this. As off-put as I obviously was by the article (and I use off-put loosely because I simply disagreed more than anything else), I failed to give myself credit for my own success. Looking back on that time in my life I was successful. Did I have billions of dollars? Of course not. But I had a pretty good lifestyle and I was moving in a positive direction. I made the same mistake most of us make as young, new, green entrepreneurs. We choose someone to mirror ourselves after. We select someone as our mentor or ideal entrepreneur that we look up to. Then we make the fatal mistake of comparing ourselves to them. Why do we do that? Why do we put ourselves through that agony? That’s what I was doing. I was comparing myself to those women and telling myself I didn’t measure up. It may have been a subconscious act, but I did it nonetheless.
As you choose your mentor (dare I say idol) or person you want to “be when you grow up” be careful not to compare your right now to their entire journey. Few people write about the long days and nights spent on their way to success. Often times we just see the end result, the polished china, the diamond. But remember, that diamond was once a piece of coal that nobody reveled at. That diamond was just like you are now. And one day, you will sparkle and awe and captivate too.
’til then,
#KeepItSuccessful
XcellenceOne 