When I was reading business books and articles, I noticed that many of successful people got through 2 types of situations in their childhood or teenage period:
They either had entrepreneurial initiatives, like selling matches or they were going through some severe poverty or conditions that forced them to survive and put their mind at work to push through their limitations.
While reading this type of stories, I was inevitably comparing myself to them as in my childhood I never had neither of this experiences, I was just there, a quite child that didn’t make too much noise. I never excelled at anything in particular and I was pretty average in school, I was neither good nor bad.
Not even in high school and college I didn’t have any type of initiative or displayed a particular talent at something. I didn’t really stand out with anything and never had an opinion about anything. I was just there, watching people having arguments with each other and wondered how come that they all seem to be right.
My mother was pretty over protective and took decisions for me until my early 20s.
So, it was obvious to me that successful people have built their skills and success from their early childhood in a subtle or obvious way. And it seemed that I had nothing to build on: no particular talent or inner strength, no ambition, no practical experience.
However, in time after reading books and doing a lot of self reflection, I started to notice that I am a good observer of an environment, of people and things and that I tend to notice details that in general people miss. In addition, some people and friends get very surprised about it. In the beginning this was showing as when someone was getting a new haircut and I was the first and only one observing it.
In time it also reflected in the small restaurant I was working as a commercial worker and where I made some improvements: increased sales, improved the serving process, put the business owner on her true path although she is not aware of it yet.
While working in the restaurant, it became very obvious to me that people don’t pay attention and totally dismiss the importance of small facts, information and happenings that are underutilized opportunities and assets, but they don’t see them.
So the next question was:
How do I make people observe them?
And it became very obvious to me in the restaurant that this question didn’t have an easy answer as I was getting in conflicts with the business owners that just didn’t see what I was observing.
While reflecting on it, I realized that I have to explain something that to me comes NATURALLY. How come?
Well, while I was not standing out with anything in my childhood and early adulthood, while it seemed I was doing nothing and there was nothing I was building on, there was actually something I was doing:
I was looking around with a total sense of wonder about anything and about everything. In addition, I was a total daydreamer. I was getting a lot of random ideas and getting really excited about them.
The problem was that my mother took all the decisions for me and I was never encouraged for my creativity and ideas.
So, when I started reading books about 8 years ago, my sense of WONDER turned into CURIOSITY. Finally, I had a source that could explain what I was OBSERVING and couldn’t understand.
So, right now I am able to explain the OBVIOUS that nobody sees because it is something that I have built on since I remember myself as a child.
So, what makes me feel independent and free is the fact that I can OBSERVE the details that make a difference and that I can EXPLAIN them. In return this also helps me to come up with ideas and solutions. When I am able to explain what I think and see, somehow people get ideas or a little bit more awareness of their personal world. I can see it everywhere: with clients, with my family, with business owners, with friends or just in random conversations.
What is great about all this is that I have kept my sense of wonder from my childhood and I get easily amazed about small things. Everywhere I go there is a part of my mind that is still wondering about everything I see, it is a sort of permanent practice of observing and trying to explain the existence of things. This adds a lot to my sense of freedom as I experience gratitude and get easily excited, especially when I get a new idea about something.
Having a sense of wonder is something very important nowadays when most people chase for material and quick results or they struggle with surviving in their jobs and businesses.
That is why I work on a course for small business owners that struggle with their sense of freedom in their small businesses. I think all people have a natural thing or talent that they have built on since their childhood, but they are not totally aware of even if it is something as simple as a sense of wonder.
I will succeed because I can observe and explain what most people don’t see, they need it and somebody has to do it once and for all.
I know it takes time, but I discovered that no matter if I am realistic or not, no matter if I do what most people do or not, there are always obstacles to overcome. There is no shortcut and no secret formula without putting in the work. So, why not following my own path anyway and that gives me a great sense freedom?
Something will come out of it in a way of another.
So, what is it that subtle or obvious thing you have always done right and practiced since you were a child?
Mihaela Dragan