In the start-up world, particularly among areas like IT, robotics and AI, this is a journey that buries its participants in an engulfing whirlwind that even seasoned visionaries find challenging. During both lean times and booms however, the joy of seeing ideas come to life has driven unceasing work. This sets up an excruciating test that very few are prepared to traverse without scars when it comes to wellbeing of the mind as a result of entrepreneurship. Stress eventually creeps in gradually, corroding sound judgements till self-doubt becomes an internal battle of monumental proportions. The ties that bind us as humans within a dehumanizing obsession fray away into thin air –dreams become more important.
This is one sad reflection on how many entrepreneurs have had their minds broken so much so that they now become voiceless symbols for many unsettling rites of passage. Shockingly seventy-two percent of these vanguards grapple with mental health problems whereby over a third fall prey to crippling anxiety or incapacitating burnouts. One out of every ten founders collapses from panic attacks while more than half suffer from severe fear of failure. It is rather worrying that 81% mask their pain behind stoicism seeming forced into acting strong as if they have nothing hidden within them.
However, founders are not only subjected to such traumatic religious rituals; they also refuse to have enough sleep, and are inattentive of their physical health while abandoning their families with whom they spend a lot of time, offering all that is dear to them on the altar of their consuming passions.
The strangest thing is that an incredible 80-95% express an unwavering determination to repeat this journey of self-denial again if need be. It is proof of human nature itself willing to be burned by the fires of transcendental creation at any cost.
It’s this depressing realization that prompts our collective subconscious mind to ask: How can we prevent these brave architects from heading down into this psychological abyss—those architects who are shaping the landscapes of consciousness and automation—the architects who are molding pots in which our post-human fate would be realized in?
Hope rises from the darkness. This is because it has become normalized to discuss mental illness and it promotes connectedness instead of isolation. These are pioneers breaking cultural barriers in finding support from either professionals or others who have experienced similar depths. In so doing, they can help shape an entrepreneurial culture that emphasizes empathy and the overall well-being.
For innovators to breathe life into pitch-black skies, they must be advocates of what is emerging. Pioneers have to stand tall and recalibrate paradigms which recognize spiritual balance as sacred practice.
The journey offers deep mythical storylines for those who seek something more through it. It shows us how we can turn entrepreneurship into a magnificent cathedral where every corner resonates with wisdom, creativity and self-realization while in the fires cleansing us of temporary conflicts that lie beyond them if we dare changing.
Information drawn from Startup Snapshot
DB
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