It is so lonely being a business owner!
Do any other successful business owners feel this way? I've been a business owner for 15 years now. I have built a multi million dollar net worth that most would be happy with and would be considered successful by most metrics. But damn, it's lonely. I felt that way during my growth phase having to discipline, fire, lots of staff turnover, etc. However now that I have been in business long enough it feels even worse. Employees retire, move on to other companies. Even ones we have to let go sometimes feel like a lost family member. I thought that feeling would eventually callous or go away, but it doesn't. My spouse isn't involved in the business at all so I don't have anyone personally to even relate to the things I'm going through. Always stressed, sometimes due to valid external sources but often just to personal pressures on myself for my own business.
The money is great but after being a business owner for close to 20 years now, it is unexpectedly lonely at the top. I have my days where I wish I was just a "normal guy" again where my business and personal lives weren't so co mingled, and I could just "blend in" again. It's such a strange feeling, it's like having a devil and angel on each shoulder, one with an obsessive desire for growth, with another with a desire to blend in, be normal, call it quits and just enjoy what I have.
I know it seems greedy and selfish to feel this way when so many are struggling to get by, but damn is the grass always greener on the other side.
Edit: Thanks all for all of the fantastic comments. I'm trying to respond to as many as I can but appreciate all of the feedback. It sounds like I'm definitely not the only one that feels this way!