It is time Silicon Valley get over the “Everything is always good and awesome” pathology.

Because it is quite literally driving entrepreneurs and their companies into the grave.

Life is not one big fanciful stroll through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

In life there is suffering. In life there is pain. In life there is hardship.

If you have an issue, pretending it doesn’t exist is one of the absolute worst things you can do.

If “Everything is going awesome” great. Tell people about it.

If everything is not going great, don’t run from the truth.

At least confide in your close friends. At least confide in your family. At least confide in a few characters in your internal monologue.

If you’re shit stinks, talk with people about how to clean it up. Don’t brush it under the rug. Because it will eventually destroy the habitation of the whole house.

Try to shove your shit down into the shadows of your psyche and pretend it doesn’t stink and it will emerge as a blood thirsty two headed monster that will eat you ALIVE.

Confront your issues and deal with them. Solve them. Treat them as an opportunity for growth.

Growth, purpose, love and learning are all double edged. Working with only one side of the sword makes you a blunt one dimensional fighter of life.

Setbacks are an expected part of the journey. But if you don’t understand why you got set back and take action to improve you will keep making the same mistakes.

And if this continues to pattern repeat…

You will eventually end up curled in a whimpering ball of learned helplessness rather than a burning radiant being of triumph standing tall on the mountaintop. The world on a string.

Everyone shits.

Confront your shit.