Believe Big!
By Kathy-Ann Fletcher
“Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements”. David J. Schwartz Author.
There is a shift taking place in the thought-pattern of Barbadian entrepreneurs toward the pursuit of their dreams. It is promising to see young Barbadian entrepreneurs no longer limiting the extent of their success by restricting the scope of their vision. This has not always been the case as entrepreneurs especially small business enterprises, would place a ceiling on their own success out of a misguided belief that there was a barrier to what they could achieve.
However, we currently have Barbadian entrepreneurs pursuing dreams that not only have the potential to make them great financial and professional successes, but also possess the capacity to improve or enhance the lives of their community, island and even the world. While this may sound like an exaggeration to you, we have products designed and created right here in Barbados whereby these innovations were in use before they were commercially adopted by other parts of the world.
Take for example, solar energy which had its commercial presence here for over 3 decades via the solar water heaters now produced by three significant companies. These were established here years before 'going green' was even a buzzword globally. This is inspirational to young entrepreneurs and evidence they can be trailblazers in their chosen field.
Do you know what a local chain of beauty stores, a regional conglomerate and a global fashion empire have in common? They are all dreams young Barbadian entrepreneurs are actively pursuing. These are big dreams. They require dedication, ingenuity, commitment and a determination to persevere even in the face of opposition but they are not out of the reach of these enterprising individuals.
Many current and past entrepreneurs have been a victim not of a lack of creativity or ingenuity but to thinking themselves out of their dreams. We have been socialised into thinking that the size of our country dictates the magnitude of our potential for success. For example, when we confide our dreams to persons that we trust, the response is often ‘how reasonable is that’ or ‘that is too risky’ or ‘that dosen’t sound viable’. This response combined with our own self-doubt causes us to scale down our vision or abandon our dream altogether. We back down out of guilt or because we believe thinking big is selfish or worse yet you don't want to have the reputation as 'that fool out there chasing pipe dreams'.
However, the change is coming that shows that our success is not determined by the size of our country but rather by the breadth of our dreams and the depth of our thought. Take a look at those who have been largely successful in this country and on a global scale. They did not achieve their success by restricting themselves due to self-doubt or by adhering to the warnings of their naysayers. Their accomplishments were due to the capacity to think big and aim high on the pursuit of their dreams and getting out there and putting their plans into action.
Technological advances such as the internet, economic agreements and the ease of travel are all facilitating global reach for Barbadians who have an ingenious product/service idea and are bold enough to think big and put those thoughts into action. By taking such a bold step, entrepreneurs are not only investing in their own success, they are also investing in Barbados' economic and social development and stability.
We have to learn and teach each other its the only way we can combat the self doubt and people who put us off from our dreams. Keep writing Kathy.