Do you feel like you reflect on things more than everyone else?
Do you find yourself worrying about how other people feel?
Do you prefer quieter, less chaotic environments?
Do you make it a high priority to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations?
Sound familiar?
That's probably because you're a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), just like me.
It's not a disease, it's an innate trait found in almost 20% of the population.
As a HSP, you are more aware of subtleties than others. This is because your brain processes information and reflects on it more deeply. You'll also feel more easily overwhelmed than others, whenever things are a little too intense, complex, or chaotic, for extended periods of time.
So why on earth would you put yourself through the intense, complex and painful process of becoming an entrepreneur?
Even imagining the scrutiny you'd be putting yourself under is painful, right?
You may think that being Highly Sensitive and running your own business are mutually exclusive, that it would make more sense to work a 9 to 5, go home and quietly be who you are.
Experience has taught me this is simply not the case. Going into business for myself was the best thing I've ever done. It's not for everyone, but being a HSP and running a business go so well together. Consider all the successful HSP around the world who worked on their own terms: Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Greta Garbo, Joaquin Phoenix, Woody Allen, and Emily Dickinson, to name a few. You're certainly in good company!
As a HSP it can be difficult to get your work/life balance right, and find work that suits you. As an entrepreneur, you can create the life that fits your needs.
Don't believe me?
Check out the top five benefits of being an entrepreneur as a HSP:
#1 You Get To Choose Who You Work With
Remember those annoying colleagues who drove you mad and drained away all your energy? One of the most stressful things for HSP is working with extroverts and people with extremely high energy. You can choose NOT to work with people like that if you're running your own business. Isn't that awesome?
#2 You Determine Your Own Working Hours
No more drama, struggling to be in top form every day from 9 to 5. As a HSP your energy and concentration levels can vary immensely based on your own energy and stress levels, and all the energy levels around you. The pressure to be consistently productive and in a good mood can be a major stress factor.
When you work for yourself you choose when to work and when to take breaks, so you can stay in tune with the different elements affecting your mood, energy levels, and productivity.
#3 You Can Choose Your Work Environment
Open plan offices give me goose bumps. All the noise, the people, the air-conditioning... it's like poison for any HSP.
Working from home, a quiet office or a cafe feels so much better. Running your own business gives you that flexibility. You can even mix it up, and venture out to places with more people occasionally ... heaven on earth for any HSP.
#4 You Don't Have To Worry About Pleasing Any Boss
A boss breathing down your neck is no good for anyone, especially not a HSP.
That constant worry about whether or not you're doing a good job is a tiring, everlasting struggle when in full-time employment. Being your own boss means you don't have to please anyone but yourself and your clients (because let's face it, you need to make money, and happy clients tend to pay you).
#5 You Get To Make Decisions Based On Intuition
One sign of being Highly Sensitive is a heightened sense of intuition. Your gut feeling is never wrong, and will never let you down.
When you're your own boss you can use that to your advantage, and base your decisions on your instincts, rather than having to back them up with tangible evidence. It's your own journey, and no one else can tell you what's right and what's not.
There are a lot of benefits to running your own business as a Highly Sensitive. Yes, it's hard sometimes, but the life of freedom you're creating outweighs any struggles.
If you want to learn more about being a HSP check out Elaine Aron (http://hsperson.com/), one of the leading experts on the field. Or if you're not sure, take the test here.