"The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven", John Milton. Milton may have struck upon one of the greatest dichotomies of the human experience. A man with great talent may become a great failure. Or, a woman of unequaled beauty may spend a lifetime trying to be beautiful. Why? The disconnect with reality in the mind.
One of the greatest battles we face in life is the battle that rages between our ears. All men are born equal, but not all men will have equal outcomes of life. There will always be those who will excel and accomplish things that amaze, but why do equally gifted and talented individuals never accomplish much of anything?
There is an old Henry Ford quote that says, "If you believe you can, or you believe you can't, either way you're right." Starting a successful business begins when you believe you can create a successful business. You may, and probably will, need to learn the mechanics of business, the pitfalls to avoid and the shortcuts that others have found, but the ability to be successful is inside you. It's in the incubator of the mind. If you can overcome the doubts that try to rob you of courage to start, you've taken the first to success.
One of the great feeders of doubt to a great idea comes from those who know and love you. They may be family, friends or co-workers who don't have the vision you have. They can't see what you see, so they can only offer input from their limited resources. I would encourage you to create and lock in your plan before you seek input from those who are not going to be an integral part of your business plan. You don't want someone who will not be a primary asset in your idea to be a primary discourager to your success.
Milton is right, "The mind is its own place and in itself . . ." is greatness or failure. There is the ability to create and the ability to destroy. There is unlimited resources for success, and there are the demons of your own demise. You, and only you, have the power to create Hell of Heaven, or Heaven of Hell.
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