The courage to think big
In a recent interview with Rahul Chowdhury, founder of Denuo Source, Rahul described how business school gave him the courage to think big.
“At the end of the day no matter what you do, you start a small little shop on the corner of Michigan Ave. that’s selling newspapers, it still takes a lot of effort. Any business no matter what you do takes a lot of effort. So might as well do something bigger because the effort’s the same.”
Why not think big?
Behavioral science tells us that our self-concept is largely shaped early in life. Our beliefs about who we are, what we deserve and what we are capable of are often determined by the unspoken environmental influences of our early childhood.
Yet these beliefs about who we are and what we are capable of often have no correlation with our true abilities. Much of our self-concept is shaped by self-imposed limitations that are based on unchallenged assumptions. Meanwhile, our untapped potential lies dormant.
In her book A Return To Love, Author Marianne Williamson wrote “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
We often make important life choices based on these self-imposed limitations. We list all the reasons why we can’t, how circumstances beyond our control prevent us from living the lives we imagine. Yet our choice are often based on these unchallenged assumptions.
It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear, it is the willingness to forge ahead in spite of it. As I travel around the country interviewing entrepreneurs, I’m still astonished by their stories. And if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that opportunities abound.
Those who succeed are not born with any innate talent or abilities. They are not particularly brilliant, privileged, well educated or lucky. They succeed simply because they are willing to push the limits of what they think they are capable of.
So ask yourself, why not think big? The answer may surprise you.
Insights, Exploits And Life-Lessons
