My husband possesses an entrepreneurial spirit, often sharing his business ideas with enthusiasm. Instead of encouragement, I found myself instinctively shutting them down. At the time, I labeled it as protection—shielding him from potential failure. In reality, it was panic rooted in my own unresolved fears.
When I embarked on my own business journey, I became paralyzed in the planning phase. Tasks like sending emails, marketing, or branding felt overwhelming. The mere thought of public judgment froze me. It wasn't until years into this stalled journey that I recognized the source of my anxiety: the little girl on the piano bench, desperate for approval, terrified of mistakes.
I had internalized the belief that errors were unacceptable. This mindset manifested in my business endeavors—I delayed launching my website for months, striving for unattainable perfection. Even after it went live, I hesitated to market it, fearing public criticism and shame.
The concept of "iterating in public," common among content creators, appealed to me intellectually. However, my nervous system perceived it as a threat. Despite understanding its benefits, my body resisted, associating visibility with danger.
Our brains prioritize perceived safety over factual reasoning. For me, entrepreneurship mirrored past traumas, and my mind sought to protect me from reliving them.
