I was at an event drawing a married couple. The wife said her husband was an artist and I found out he liked comic books.
Normally when people say they like comics, what they really mean is they bought SOME comics in their youth. They usually weren’t doing cartwheels over them for most of their childhood like I was.
There’s nothing wrong with that of course.
Just like some Los Angeles Lakers fans occasionally watch games on TV and some folks DVR every game and watch them wearing a Magic Johnson jersey. All while drinking purple Kool-Aid. Both are fans.
I gave the husband a list of my favorite artists and to my surprise he knew who they were. He even mentioned new art by one of my favorite artists growing up, John Byne. At this point we looked like two 10 year old boys comparing baseball cards.
I even had to stop drawing a few times because I was so enthralled by our conversation…
About halfway thru I looked over at his wife. Usually when I start geeking out over Star Wars or comics or something, the significant other tunes out. Wives (sometimes it’s husbands) usually want to listen to us talk about comics about as much they’d like to binge-watch C-SPAN.
I looked at her face and to my surprise she didn’t look annoyed.
Awesome.
I love comics and cartooning. So much so I draw those things for a living. I do have a passion that I don’t put on my resume though.
I’m a miner.
But not like with crypto or working in a mine with an ax.
I’m constantly digging for ways to be successful. And by success I don’t mean just making more money. I want to know the ideas, habits, and beliefs you need to have to be successful at what you wanna do.
And just like with my cartooning, where I take something complex like the human face and draw it with only a hand-full of lines, I want to simplify success too. And I want to do it in a way that anyone can understand and apply it. All while ignoring the “Brules”.
What are brules?
Glad you asked. Vishen Lakhiani created this term and he defines brules as “bullshit rules”. Hence the name… What’s an example of a brule? Hard work equals success. Hard work helps but it’s not everything.
And neither is saying affirmations.
Or writing down your goals everyday.
Hell, you don’t even have to be nice to people.
I have met (and read about) some really grumpy asshole millionaires in my time.
So why do brules keep hanging around? lt’s because almost all brules have some truth to them or they were true at one time. Brules can help, I’m just saying that none of them are vital. I used to think things like hard work was necessary but I know differently now.
Dan Kennedy said something years ago about selling a monthly newsletter. I don’t remember it verbatim but it went something like this. He said people sign up for your newsletter to get the information but they stay signed up your newsletter because of who you are.
And as I enjoyed Dan’s knowledge, insights, and his lovable grump personality, he was 100% right. This also a conclusion I came to at the end of the writing challenge I just started in February.
The conclusion I came to is…
Wait for it…
Is the suspense killing you…?
Here’s it is: You get paid because of who you are.
Science now proves what the spiritual community has said, for as long as it’s been around.
Ask and it is given.
Period.
And if you’re asked and ain’t gettin’, you’re blocking it. The problem is you’re likely doing it emotionally or spiritually. When you solve that problem, your life changes.
Look at it this way. You could make $100,000 a year doing what you love, like photographing dogs. Or you could make $100,000 a year working for your power company.
And if you first thought I’m wrong. It would be hard to make that much money doing photography or making $100,000 working for the power company was easier, or more stable, or “acceptable”. That’s a block.
Think of it like Newton’s first law of motion. Every object will remain at rest or in motion unless the actions of an external force gets in the way. Or in my words…blocks it.
Blocks come in about many forms as Baskin Robbins sells flavors of ice cream. Your blocks could be…
Feeling unworthy.
Fear of success.
Family pressures.
All sorts of stuff. Keep in mind though, vision and blocks come from the same place.
YOU.
So that means, YOU can fix it.
Adam