Thought provoking stuff from “Giving well, readings for thoughtful philanthropists” by Amy A. Kass More here

The key to turning this around is to learn from your mistakes. Do that consistently and those lessons will build you up and give you a sense of unshakeable confidence in you and your own sense of worth and place in the world. The feeling that, no matter what obstacles appear in your path, you will find a way over, round or underneath them. Not only will you will be okay you will be stronger and more self-reliant.

Successful entrepreneurs demonstrate this kind of powerful self-confidence and that’s what allows us to cope with all the risks of operating our own businesses.

On top of that, true self-confidence will help instil a sense of trust and teamwork in others and handled well, it can bring a sense of play and fun into your business. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

When you can triumph over adversity with ease and do it again and again, the feeling is so empowering. It won’t remove the challenges you will certainly face, but it transforms you into an on-purpose person, motivated to achieve your goals with an unshakeable sense of self-confidence. One of the key building blocks to a feeling of inner peace and happiness.

Nothing finer!

Slim walks you through nearly everything you’ll need to consider before making a major change, and not only the specifics of starting a business, but also a close-up look at the emotional issues you’ll face.

She begins with the process of deciding to depart The Cubicle (and all that entails), including identifying and managing fears.  One exercise for decreasing fear and anxiety requires four columns, entitled belief, underlying assumptions, what I need to find out and where I can find it.  Clarifying those scary thoughts and dealing with them realistically shrinks them down to size.

Slim then moves on to the nuts and bolts of business: the process of uncovering appropriate business ideas for you, assembling your team and defining the “spirit of your brand.”  The chapter on testing and failing talks about the danger of waiting to be perfectly prepared, or do perfect work.  She offers some kick-in-the-pants ideas to jump-start your process.

Another reason this book is worthwhile is that the author addresses the reality of money.  The “Making the Money Work” section offers Q&A, helps you put a figure to the value of your employee benefits, offers five ways to clean up your credit score and explores common financial patterns.  She even defines common health insurance terminology and explains how to shop for self-employed insurance.

And then it’s time to make the leap.  The final section addresses the emotional factors in how to handle friends and family, and knowing when it is time to make a graceful exit and walk out your employer’s door for the last time.

The last pages are where you’ll find a compendium of blogs and books that provide guidance on matters of finance, infrastructure and business plans.

Slim speaks not only from her experience, but also from thousands of conversations from her blog of the same name.  She uses direct language in a quick-to-read format.  Nearly every page has bullet points or lists, and the 340 page book is a relatively quick read.