a fork in the road

A thing I have noticed, after a LOT of experience on this since my early childhood days, is that opportunities show up all the time.  I notice the opportunities some of the time.  I take the opportunity even less times.  And many times, when I do notice the opportunity and decide to take it - it's very often NOT when I was wanting to do that sort of "changing of plans".

I've also noticed that being an entrepreneur, and in the field of startups, a key skill that a founder really needs to have is the ability to listen/observe, and make a decision to act or not act, fast.  There's a saying, "time kills all deals".  Time can kill opportunities if you take too long to make the decision.  

And the third thing I've noticed, at least for myself, is that when I have that mix: 1) an opportunity, 2) that I notice, and that 3) I decide to take it PLUS I feel that familiar pang of discomfort, I know i have to jump all in and fast.  Go where I can sharpen my edges like the sword of a world class warrior  All hands on deck.  I start moving and I figure the rest out as I go.  Pangs of discomfort, the anxiety, the sweaty armpits and knots in my abdomen keeping me up at time running through all the possible scenarios - especially the worst case scenarios where I get beaten emotionally, mentally, physically, and ...  the fear of failure is real.  So real.  I feel that worry of what if I am an imposter.  What if I actually know NOTHING.  What if I'm actually completely incompetent, ineffective, and a total fraud.  My worst fears.  

I hold them to be possibilities that may be true.  

Time does kill all deals and so I take all of my fears, my worries of embarrassment, and my battered bruised beaten self and I get into position to fight again.  I may be battered, bruised and beaten - I've also built up some gnarly badass wise scars, and some dense diesel muscles that can fight better than some of the best.  

More to come.
Arry