The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

January 26How High We Are

We never know how high we are / Till we are called to rise; / And then, if we are true to plan, / Our statures touch the skies—

The Heroism we recite / Would be a daily thing,/ Did not ourselves the Cubits warp / For fear to be a King—

Emily Dickinson—“We never know how high we are”—Letters (1894)

Today's reading is certainly a call to reflect on the subconscious limiting beliefs that might be holding you back from accomplishing what you were meant for, or at least capable of. “For fear to be a King” seems like an odd notion to apply to an entrepreneur until you start to examine the sometimes habitual behavior that runs contrary to the stated objectives of success.

You might think to yourself, “I'll write that book when I have more time.” No, you won't. For some reason, you will never find the time to write that book. Not until you rid yourself of what's holding you back. Of course, the key to ridding yourself of limiting beliefs and behavior is to identify them.

This is tough, lay-on-the-couch-and-talk-about-your-feelings kind of work, but if you look honestly at the parts of your life that aren't working as you had hoped, you might start to see clues and remnants of deep-seated beliefs that work to create friction in your life rather than traction. (Feel free to blame it on your parents if you like, but then you've got to own how it shows up now.)

Challenge Question

1. What areas of your life are weakened by subconscious beliefs about things like ...