When you’re looking for a metaphor for finding the faith in yourself to start a new business, the one that probably comes to mind first is a kid just learning to swim. The child may have had lessons, and might have watched video on how to swim, or read a book, but they still haven’t done it for the first time in a big body of water and so they stand on the dock and everything looks scary. Maybe dad or mom or another relative is in the water, coaxing them to take that first leap and promising that they’ll be there to make sure they stay afloat but, really, the person on the dock knows it’s up to them. Once they make that leap, whether they sink or swim is on their shoulders. Eventually, most kids hold their nose, close their eyes and leap. They believe, because they’ve prepared, that once they hit the water and join all the other swimmers they’ll be able to keep afloat.
Starting a new business is an odd thing. On one hand it’s all possibility and freedom and the ability to do what you want when you want to do it. On the other hand, there’s fear and doubt and worry. What if no one wants to work with you? What if you’re not good at selling yourself? What if you can’t find a good cardboard box to sleep in when you’re living under a bridge? The scenarios range from “I’m going to make millions and everyone will know my name” to “I’m going to fail miserably and end up living in my car and doing sink baths at the gas station” and the ups and downs can rival even the scariest of roller coasters.
A lot of people will tell you that starting a business means you must have faith, in your work, in yourself, and in the universe to work for your highest good. I’m solid on one of those (my work), shakily solid on another (faith in myself) and a devout agnostic on the third (the universe). Faith is the evidence of things unseen, or so the Bible would tell us, so really it’s the bit between when you’re on the dock and when you hit the water. Faith is what prompts the jump and makes us believe that we can take the leap and make it work for us.
Faith and trust have always seemed to me to be something of a gamble, and I’ve never been much of a gambler. Still, there’s something enticing about putting yourself out there and seeing what you can do. Your destiny is under your control, your trajectory defined by how hard you’re willing to work, your possibilities seemingly endless. There are statistics that say many small businesses fail within the first five years. There is every reason to fear that it won’t work. There will always be those who say you should play it safe, refuse to rock the boat, stick with what is familiar and what you know.
Sometimes, though, you have to roll the dice. Often the safest bet is on yourself. At least once, while the sun is hot overhead and the water is warm, you have to hold your nose, close your eyes, and take a leap, trusting that the water will hold you up when you splash down. Yeah, starting a business is scary and nerve wracking and can make you worry. Yes, faith and hope are helpful, but you also need determination and knowledge if you’re really going to succeed.
