Who's That Hiding In Your Head?

We all have pictures in our heads about the "real" world.

What a real adult looks/acts like.
What a real parent looks/acts like.
What a real massage therapist looks/acts like.

Sometimes those pictures help. If I've got a robust and positive picture in my head of a role, the picture can motivate and guide me forward into something good.

Sometimes, these pictures are an impediment. If my picture is of something I don't actually want to be, I'm going to resist it; I'm going to be in conflict with that role.

I spoke with an MT recently about her understanding of herself as a business person. She said she'd just realized that the "picture" of a business person in her head was of someone she didn't want to be -- aggressive, money-obsessed, cut-throat -- and she realized this was standing in the way of taking herself seriously as a business person.

Do you have a picture in your head of what a "real" business person looks / acts like? Is it moving you forward or holding you back?

The good news is that the pictures in our heads are mutable; we can change them. What if the picture in your head of a "real" business person included:

• active in community service
• generous with their expertise and experience
• provides a valuable service
• sets prices reasonably and raises them in a timely manner
• dedicated to good customer service
• maintains healthy boundaries between business and personal life
• sets financial goals that are good for the customer and good for him/herself
• enjoys her/his work and is an inspiring role model
• continually seeking education to be a wiser business owner
• has earned the respect of the people who work for and with him/her

Are these things feasible? Do these people exist? The answer to both questions is "yes". I can give you examples from my world but I encourage you to find them in your own.

Re-draw the picture in your head. Find real-world examples that help you do that. It's a waste of time and energy working towards a "picture" you loathe.