Being Successful in Business and Wanting More

We have heard many stories of being successful in business because recorded history is mostly interested about the winners NOT the losers are the ones that came so close.

In my endeavor to seek more, to push the line further to find that edge and find what the break through point is for, being successful in business. I’m currently reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and it has inspired me to think back to the times I have dared greatly and had breakthroughs to seemly impossible glass ceilings. Looking back now they don’t seem so hard and at the time that would have been different.

The title for her book aptly comes from a passage of a speech Theodore Roosevelt’s gave and I am going to repost it below because it’s a reminder to me to keep searching.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
Because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms,
The great devotion; who spends himself in a worthy cause;
Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly….”

Now those words are more for me to dare greatly and be more vulnerable. Whew, I said it………

As I think back to the times I have grown the most it is the DARING that stands out. I thought it was taking risks and putting myself out there, but that was the story I told myself as I approached being vulnerable because I used to think like most people that being vulnerable was a weakness, I had built all these ways to run away and I didn’t even realise. Like sharing emotions when it suited me not when other people asked for it, because that could be opening me up to “not knowing the answer” and that’s surely weakness isn’t it if I don’t know the answer. I need to know everything before I ask it or go into that conversation, don’t I.

As I am writing this I am finding more and more ways I have avoided being vulnerable.

As soon as you start to dig the more situations come up. Also the more I dig, the more relief I have that I don’t need to do that anymore, there is a much better way and that way is sharing those experiences with genuine people I trust my vulnerability with.

Why am I scared of showing that I am vulnerable to people that are not genuine for? Isn’t that a way to find out who I want to share the most personal experiences with. Now don’t get me wrong here because sharing experiences that are very personal is not what I am looking for as I have used that tactic too in over sharing to get the other person to back off. It is like bluffing in poker I imagine, unfortunately it's not how to get a person to trust you, it works when it’s a shared experience not one-sided experience.

Now you could stop reading now because that is the biggest point of this article. What I will share below is my experience and looking back at how vulnerable I was and how much of a life changing experience it was. I hope you can push some boundaries and use it to assist you in being successful in business

For everyone still here I think back to an amazing experience I had at an Anthony Robbins event “Unleash The Power Within” and no it wasn’t the fire walk moment for me, that was easy for me to block out pain and as I was probably blocking out everything else to emotions feeling huh who needs those.

My moment came in a very simple exercise that still gives me chills when I think about it.

In venue with 12,000 people crowded in we were asked to turn to a person close to you. Look at them and then pour out all the love you have to them and receive their love back. OK

I looked around and found this lady behind me and she had a nice smile so I smiled back and in that moment there was a connection. It seemed like that smile to each other opened this door and we both stepped in and were lost in each others emotions, I could almost reach out and touch the feelings they were so deep, they were pouring over me and my whole body was alive like never before and we kept sharing equally being open and sharing… receiving… sharing and on and on.

Till this day I don’t know how long we stood there, it seemed like eternity and it seemed like it was over too soon. I don’t know what brought us back to the room and what was happening, but as soon as we were back in the room with the other 12,00 people we fell into each other’s arms trying to hold onto more of those emotions that were expressed and received.

We were holding each other, supporting each other searching for words to express what had just happened, but simply lost in the language we knew that came with the emotions. I think we did the exercise again, but my mind was still caught in the emotions and we spent the next few hours taking in the event. As soon as the day program finished, we came together to hug again and savor more of the connection and emotions that were still there.

I have thought about that many times over the years and how when you can share emotions like that how much you can receive. Until reading Brene’s words again about vulnerable I had not put two and two together.

My desire now is to have more experiences like this in everyday life, looking for moments that I can open up connect, share, receive and give back more emotions and it all starts with vulnerability.

Now if you think that business is business and personal is personal, keep telling yourself that and don’t expect to reach the levels and depths of emotions that will affect your life. Keep playing it safe….