When I first started my own business, I was afraid and worried. I was afraid that the decision to start a business was the wrong decision, and I was worried that this decision would affect the livelihood and income of my family. When I decided to start my own business, I was already married with 1 wife and 2 children. If my plan failed, it wouldn’t just be me who couldn’t eat, but also my wife and children.
The first time I went abroad, I was afraid that I would be confused at the destination airport. I was afraid that I wouldn’t understand the language. Although the first time I went abroad was only to Thailand, I still had a feeling of worry if I got lost or confused at the destination.
For years, I was afraid to drive a car, afraid of hitting the wall, colliding with other vehicles, getting stuck in train traffic and so on. Every time I heard news of a car crashing through a parking lot wall, I justified my reason for not driving. “Look, it’s dangerous if you don’t understand, if you want to hit the brake but you step on the gas, the car flies and falls…”
There are many things that make me afraid, since I was a child until I was an adult. The forms are also varied. Because of this fear, I tend not to stand out, not to participate in activities, not to do things that I think will make me even more afraid.
I don’t want to be active, because I’m afraid of being nominated as the class or group leader or leader of the activity. There will be a lot of burden. I’d rather be a follower, don’t think about responsibility, don’t need to be scolded, just follow the orders of the leader.
However, fear and worry are not something wrong. It is our natural protection to prevent bad things from happening. The problem is if we are trapped by fear and worry so that we stop being active or don’t want to take risks, responsibilities and new adventures.
Fear and worry are normal. To deal with it, we can try to learn to prepare ourselves as best as possible.
When I started my own business, it wasn’t just that I was an entrepreneur today and stopped working the next day. I ran it for a while, more than a year. I have calculated the household needs, predicted income, analyzed risks and so on. The result is promising, except for unforeseen events.
When I first drove a car, I also took driving lessons first. I practiced driving in an empty parking lot, then on the road with a driving instructor. When I was confident enough, I drove alone.
When I went abroad for the first time, I also prepared myself. I learned basic phrases in Thai, prepared my passport and documents, and read about the customs and culture of Thailand.
The key is to prepare ourselves as best as possible, so that we are not overwhelmed by fear and worry. We can also ask for help from others, such as asking for advice from friends or mentors who have experience in the field we want to enter.
We can also try to change our mindset, from “I can’t” to “I can try”. Don’t be afraid to fail, because failure is also a learning process. We can learn from our mistakes and try again.
