Early on, when I got focused on earning more and being more I started doing personal development.
I read a couple of books but my studies went Chernobyl once I got into Wayne Dyer’s work. I was deep into spirituality, the law of attraction, and philosophy.
And like many people learning new things I knew EXACTLY what my wife’s problems were. Which I was SO happy to share with her.
She was NOT impressed. At all.
And neither were the sales of my businesses.
No problem, I just need to open up a can of whoop-ass and get my sales and marketing chops going. I studied my weight in books, courses, and audios! I had a USP, a purple cow, and plenty of ambition. Everything a young entrepreneur needs!
But something was wrong. My life and career still wasn’t clicking. It was like a plane sitting stationary on the runway at an airport. Full of passengers, all gassed up, and ready to go but just…sitting there.
Ah! Now I know what the problem is! I need to recreate myself. All the cool Internet kids are doing that now!
That didn’t work either.
There’s nothing wrong with recreating yourself but I did it in a way that took me away from my gifts and my genius. It’s like when Michael Jordan went to play baseball for a year. Kudos to him for trying something different but he’s a genius at basketball, not the other way around.
I decided to do something different. Instead of feasting on sales and marketing I decided to go on a business diet. I wanted to look at other ‘artists’ who went far in their field who DIDN’T focus on sales, marketing, or making money.
My first study was Oprah. I knew from listing to many of her interviews that she never made decisions early on based on money. It was actually the opposite. Her decisions were based on her integrity, her vision, and her purpose.
I learned when it came to the big decisions, Oprah looked inside herself not outside.
Then I studied Steve Harvey. He was much like Oprah, for his success he constantly went within. Next was Kevin Hart and his podcast, where he interviews successful comedians. There was a theme that always seemed to come up. Yes the entertainers pushed and persevered but the big leaps came when they went within.
Kevin Hart interviewed Judd Apatow. He spoke about content and working with Paul Feig from Freaks and Geeks before he himself became a household name in the biz.
Apatow said, “That’s when I realized the gold is going deep into yourself”. “My friends who tell their truth, are breaking thru in some way.” And that’s what he did.
So wait, are you telling me what’s holding me back is not “them”?
It’s not my less than perfect marketing skills?
Or needing to read the top 10 business books on the bestseller list?
Nope.
And this reminded me of a quote Jack Canfield said that he heard from a Buddhist teacher. I thought I got it before but now I REALLY get it.
He said, “Let me give you the secret. If you were to meditate for twenty years, this is where you’d finally get to: Just be yourself. But be all of you.”
So now, my focus is to go within. Your spiritual self and your business self work together like peanut and jelly.
Bert and Ernie.
Penn and Teller.
Now when I talk about career success it just can’t be about getting better at your art. It can’t just be about marketing and sales. I have to bring up the spiritual mumbo jumbo that drives some people crazy. Some people may not like me and that’s ok.
What’s important is that I am me. All of me.
And if you want to break thru and to be the best version of yourself you need to be you, too.
All of you.
Adam