Why Am I Always Stressed and Worried? - An Open Letter to Entrepreneurs Who Feel Beat Down

Behind the Curtain with Joseph Warren

​Startup Nation, I want to invite you to join me on a free Spiritual Clarity Call. There are a lot of business coaches who can guide you in pitching investors or marketing your product. But few coaches address the heart-level issues that affect our business and personal lives.
 
The reason I’m passionate about spiritual coaching is because I get to see behind the entrepreneurship curtain. Some of my coaching clients make tens of millions in annual revenue. They own the Ferraris and the beachfront condos. From the outside, they look like they’re absolutely killing it. 
 
But I’ll tell you looks can be deceiving. I’ve seen it firsthand. For all the money and success my friends have achieved, they’re miserable. I see the pain and sorrow so many entrepreneurs struggle with. And maybe this sounds a little too familiar. 

Bob's story

​Let me tell you about Bob.* Bob is one of my ultra-successful coaching clients. But every morning Bob spends the first five minutes of his day giving himself a savage, verbal beat down.
 
“You’re a piece of crap. You don’t deserve success. You’re going to fail. Your peers and competitors are going to find out that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. You’re a fake. You’re a fraud. Success is for others and not for you. You’re worthless. You’re not good enough. There’s something wrong with you. You should be at the top by now. You’re a failure. No one likes you – they’re just pretending.”
 
Now repeat this paragraph twenty more times. This is how Bob starts his day. 

Negative self-talk cripples entrepreneurs

​Negative self-talk can have many sources. Abusive families. Addictions. Neglect. Unhealthy work environments. But whatever the source, it’s clear that negative self-talk cripples entrepreneurs. It increases stress and keeps you up at night. Negativity might force you to abandon your business before it has a chance to flourish. Or even worse, you grow your business for fifteen years, but you can only see your business as a ball and chain holding you down. 
 
If this describes you, know that you’re not alone. Studies show that 34 percent of entrepreneurs say they are worried. And 45 percent of entrepreneurs admit they are stressed.That’s 3 percentage points more than other workers.

So why are entrepreneurs like you stressed and worried? 

It’s because you’re holding onto control and don’t know how to let go.
 
Your ego says you can do it on your own. You don’t trust people. You think you’re more competent than your employees (even though you feel like a total fake).
 
You might have a controlling mindset if you worry about whether your sales team will hit their quarterly quota, whether your significant other will say yes to your proposal, or whether your kids will get straight A’s in school.
 
I’m not saying you can’t influence these events, but you can’t control them. Not at all of them. Not completely. 
 
And if you’re trying to control your entire business, you’re probably holding it back. Time and time again I’ve noticed that the CEO has the biggest effect on his or her business. Not the economy. Not politics. Not the employees. It’s you! 
 
If you’re plagued with limiting, negative thoughts, you will bring them into your business. You’re trying to be something you’re not and you’re failing. 
 
You’re trying to be God. 
 
And this is why you’re miserable. If you stop playing God in your life and admit that you can’t fix everything, then I believe you will start experiencing freedom from the need to control everything. Your business will begin to flourish.

Three steps to fight stress and worry

Startup Nation, this isn’t a rant. I’m not shaming you for your past or current mindsets. I know how difficult it can be to fight the lie that says you’re worthless. I’ve been through dark moments where I fought depression and considered self-harm.
 
But you need to see the problem before you can overcome it. If you relate to Bob and want to change the way you see yourself, here are three steps you can take.
 
Step 1: Understand that you are not God.
 
Step 2: Admit that you need God. 
 
Step 3: Embrace God’s plan for your life. 
 
Like my friend Bob, you might suffer from the symptoms of a negative mindset without knowing how to fix them. Steps 1 and 2 are steps you can do on your own, but Step 3 might take some time. 
 
Who are you? What were you made to do? How can you identify areas of childhood wounding? Who is God and how does He love you?
 
Step 3 will help you answer all of these questions. To get get a head start, let’s connect over a quick Skype call. No cost or commitment. Let’s just see if we’d like to work together.
 
My friend Bob is in a much healthier place after spiritual life coaching. You can be, too.
 
Take action. Schedule a spiritual coaching call today.

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​This post is based on Ep. 216 of Your First 100K podcast. Click the link to listen to the complete recording. 
 
*Name changed to protect identity