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The dead end - is that so bad?

July 31, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser

A wonderful person told me once that when you’re driving on a racetrack and you focus too much on the tires at every corner, not hitting them, at the next bend, mind the tires… you eventually end up hitting those tires.

As a business woman and an entrepreneur we get bogged down with our own hectic schedules. Things to do, you know, admin - yuk - products to deliver, people to meet, clients that want happiness and parcels and post that perhaps need to go out, etc.  Unfortunately many times we do see some curves in the road or might think about possible curves and we start feeling levels of stress, anxiety, fear and a general feeling of AM I going to be able to do this? A nagging mind nugget steps in.

In nature when we take the little strolls through all the bushes and scenery, everything around you and the road looks okay, albeit for a few stones, rocks and tree roots sticking out. All you’ve got to is heave your bum up and build up a sweat, even with a huff and puff. It’s all part of the adrenaline rush really. Most of the time you enjoy nature when you go for the walk. Sometimes you pass a tree, then around a corner there’s no way to go. You’re stuck!

This has happened to me in a beautiful setting in Cape Town, South Africa. I thought I’m going to take a shortcut because it looked really, really easy and I thought I was clever. I thought I knew how to do this, but as I had my left leg on the one side and my right leg on the other side ………just imagine the picture, I realized there’s nothing to put the right legs on! I was stuck. I was at the dead end! 

That being said I had two options, I could either yell and scream for help or I could try to retrace my tracks. Well, may be breaking a branch or two which would send me falling to smithereens OR perhaps making it by myself? In the end I had to yell for help.

What does the story mean?

In my own life I had to make some decisions. Uncertain of my business dealings and new roads that have to be done, I had to really put an end to it. I had to focus my mind onto something else, put all my effort into something else, and really take a deep hard look at what was the new road in front of me. It required new skills. Did I mourn the death of something? Yes I did. Those were the roads I chose to travel on, business wise. Am I okay with the new road now? Yes, absolutely I am 100% committed to this new road. But here is the key: I was fortunate that when I had to scream for help at the dead end, I had somebody there that could help me from behind, who pulled me out of the danger zone, placed my feet back on the ground, and made me turn around to see the right path back to the entrance gate. 

Dear Lioness, if you are feeling today that you are hanging over a cliff and you see a dead end and don’t know what to do - remember there will always be somebody that will be able to help you. Please, don’t try to do it all by yourself  You don’t need to burn yourself in places that you didn’t even know you had, developing stress, anxiety, fear, depression and all sorts of nonsense that starts sitting in your heart not only in your mind. There’s nothing wrong by saying to a dear friend, or a business partner, or a family member, friend etc, “please I need your help. I am at the dead end.” 

You will never know who is the person right behind you who can grab you out of that situation, help with a turnaround, put you back on the same path back to the entrance gate or onto a new path that takes you to new, higher levels of experience.

Never feel that you have failed. Life changed for many businesses. Many people came to end of it all, yet they are now finding new passions in the wonderful world of entrepreneurial nature. 

I hope this has helped you today to just think a little bit and realize that you are not alone in this journey. Many of us went through it, will possibly one day also go through it, and will forever go through it. It’s the path of the entrepreneur. 

Have wonderful week and don’t focus on the tires but ask for help sooner than when you think you need it. We lost too many of our fellow entrepreneurs due to stress and depression. Remember, you are good enough for any new road ahead.

Jungle greetings until next time.


Eldari Visser and her unique company, Picketfence Life, is providing access to information, advice and a powerful network of experts to help consumers find solutions to various serious issues. The company focuses mostly on easy blogs written by financial coaches, lawyers, accountants and tax practitioners, life and business coaches, and even psychologists. It gives practical tips and help and is the expert on your side of the fence. --- You can contact or follow Eldari at www.picketfence.life | Facebook | Twitter | #Junglewealth series

 

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