Our self-concept is made up of two things.  The picture of ourselves performing today, and the picture of our ideal self – the person we want to become.   The beautiful thing about our self-concept is that we can choose to replace the current picture of ourselves with the picture of who we want to be until such time that we have become that person we want to be.  Some people refer to this as the “fake it til you make it principle.”  I have used this self-concept trick many times in my life.  Whenever I was afraid to give a presentation or speech in front of a large crowd I would simply clothes my eyes and choose to see myself as the one person who could accomplish absolutely anything…that’s right….WONDER WOMAN!  I would pretend to spin around in my head a few times just as Wonder Woman used to do on the TV show and I would turn into Wonder Woman (in her satin tights fighting for your rights…great theme song seriously)!  Using that trick helped me for so many of the early years when my confidence would struggle.  And slowly, as I gained more experience and overcame my fears, I began to truly see myself as that superhero who could handle things with courage and strength.  But to this day I attribute my ability to go beyond my comfort zone very much in part to my “wonder woman’ing out” until I gained confidence in me.   I think that is why I love the idea of superheros.  We all love to pretend to be our favorite superhero. Especially those of us with the entrepreneruial spirit. 

Several months back I came across a post that was attributed to the name “guest” so I don’t really know who the author was, but whoever they are I want them to know that this list of “10 Ways Entrepreneurs are Like Superheroes” is fantastic!!  Loved it so much that I just had to share it: 

1.       Superheroes never give up. Like Batman, you have to keep pressing on to the very last breath. Challenges are overcome by wholeheartedly committing to unrelenting persistence.

2.       Superheroes always get the job done. There are no excuses if you don’t save the girl from the burning house. There are just results, not reasons — you either save the day or you don’t. Gray area is for Kafka — not comic heroes.

3.       Superheroes are the best at what they do. Flash is the fastest, and we all know it. If you’re the back-end developer, you are the best developer in the world, and everyone on your team knows it. Let great talent excel in areas where their superpowers are most needed.

4.       Superheroes are crystal clear of their purpose. Captain Marvel may be a cheeseball, but he knows what he stands for. Startups die when they are not clear on their mission.

5.       Superheroes are NOT flawless. Superheroes have flaws, and every member of your team will also. The goal is not perfection; it’s the pursuit of perfection.

6.       Superheroes do not seek glory — but they get it anyway. Don’t do it because you want the attention. If you do it right, you’ll get it anyway.

7.       Superheroes help others. Superheroes help people by solving problems. Startups should be obsessed NOT with themselves, but with how they are going to help other people and solve their issues.

8.       Superheroes can do it by themselves, but are more powerful in teams. You always have to have each other’s back. It’s you versus the world, so bringing together your own team of superheroes — and the mutual respect, loyalty, and camaraderie of that team — is vital.

9.       Superheroes’ true strength comes from their character. No matter how super you think you are, your strength comes from your character, not your talent. Be courageous, be respectful, be honorable, be selfless.

10.   Superheroes accomplish huge feats. The same effort it takes to start a lemonade stand or college club is the same raw effort it takes to change the world. Your goal is not to build a product or get traffic; your goal is to accomplish the most amazing feat imaginable. Make the product, save the world.

Amazing article right!?!  I loved it!  So today’s challenge is to channel your inner SuperHero!  Then go out and save the world 🙂

~Amy