The notion of working for yourself as opposed to working for a company is something that a lot of people feel uncomfortable about. Why is this?
They can’t relate.
Running your own business is different from the expected norm. Things that are different make people feel uncomfortable because they don’t understand or know the details. The more uncomfortable something feels to someone, the more likely they are to reject the idea.
They’re envious.
Another reason people may not support you as a small business owner is that they may have jealous feelings. Somewhere deeply embedded into their psychological makeup is someone who resents the fact that they are dependent on their company and trapped in a situation that no longer brings them joy. So, when they see you out there, engineering a perfect career that is just right for you and that likely makes use of your skills and talents, it stirs up uncomfortable emotions for them that they would rather not think about.
They’re deeply dissatisfied with their own lives.
So, for many people who seem not to support you in your business endeavors, it could be a deep-seated personal issue. They might even be so unhappy in their own work and/or personal life that they would take away your happiness just to stay in denial of their own dissatisfaction.
They’re stuck in herd mentality.
People don’t like the black sheep. The person who strikes out on his or her own in business goes against the grain of modern, corporate-driven society. Many people pledge their allegiance to a powerful entity such as the government or a corporate organization and feel happy and satisfied doing so.
They’re clinging to an outdated model.
Die-hard corporate and government loyalist type workers dedicate their lives to delivering a profitable outcome for these organizations, who in turn make promises to take care of them. But as the world changes, some of these promises can no longer be made. So, the reality is that people who have their own business might be a few steps ahead of individuals clinging to the old corporate model. They prefer not to understand this fact, and you.
They have mistrust of non-conformist types.
In many ways, people who work as an employee of someone else’s company are conformists. There’s nothing wrong with this. A lot of people thrive in a supporting role, and we all need to be and do what we’re meant to. However, as the business owner, you are the non-conformist.
You did not find happiness or dissatisfaction in working for another company, where the role was created for you and the rules were set for how you should conduct yourself in your daily work life. You felt more natural in a self-created professional role, which came in the form of your own business. This makes you the underdog, the black sheep, the square peg trying to fit, or not trying to fit, into the round hole.
When other people have a lack of appreciation for you as a small business owner and show their disapproval, it often has something to do with their mistrust or dislike of a person who seems unable to conform or unwilling to follow the influence of a much greater power.
