W04 Reflection: Deconstructing Your Fears

Deconstructing your fears is an important exercise for anyone, but especially those who have their own business. It’s about hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. When we look at our fears from another vantage point, we have the opportunity to see that most of the time the worst-case scenario isn’t the “end of the world”, although it may feel that way without thinking too deeply about it.

My worst fear at this point with the business is losing Amazon as a marketplace to sell on. This could happen in numerous ways by things that are out of our control. Amazon is a tough place to sell because of the many policies that they have and because they are so large that it’s sometimes difficult to represent your case when they claim that you aren’t following a specific policy. We have had to go above and beyond in particular processes to ensure that our account is protected against Amazon randomly deciding to suspend us. Considering this marketplace makes up nearly 70% of our total annual sales, we have to do whatever it takes to keep it alive. If I had to quantify it, the likelihood of losing Amazon feels like a 5-10% chance. While seemingly small, it’s still enough to make me cringe at the thought.


The majority of my business fears are finance-related. This is likely because money is the bloodline of any business and without it, you can’t grow. I’ve never been a fan of loans because I don’t like the feeling of owing people money. Being debt-free helps me sleep better at night. So while the company may not owe money to others, I still feel the obligation of continued growth without having to take out a loan.


I have to continue to push through my fears and follow my calling. If I give up, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I would have too many regrets. When I am confronted by fear, I will rely on the Lord. At times, it’s been easy to feel like I’m doing things alone. I need to do better at reminding myself that Heavenly Father is with me and wants to help. In order to access that help, I need to ask for it. I need to show the Lord that I want Him to be my partner.

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