Be your authentic self and become liberated and successful.
By being your authentic self, you are more able to develop solid long-term relationships of value that stand the test of time, create stability and an abundance of wealth. You also create inner peace, reduce frustration, anxiety, overdue stress and more.
So, what is your authentic self? Are we talking about putting on the big smile, dazzling people with exotic words, charming people with compliments or selling them the quintessential dream to win their business?
Simply, it is you at your absolute core. Sounds easy. However, this requires being absolutely honest with yourself, self-reflecting and examining your thoughts and behaviors. To clarify, if factually at your core you are a kind, caring, honest and sincere person, then acting in accord with these principles will yield the greatest long-term benefits for your business.
Alternatively, if you believe you are a manipulative and selfish person just out to survive, then perhaps these negative behaviors were developed to cope with a specific situation and are not truly reflective of your authentic self. Uncovering negative behaviors, inner conflicts and associated thoughts and behaviors are critical because they are bad for business and self-limiting.
To illustrate achievements by being your authentic self, look at John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market. Mackey developed Whole Foods into a $16 billion company with 460 stores and 87,000 team members. It ranked “100 Best Companies to Work For” in Fortune for 20 consecutive years. Mackey’s accolades include being recognized as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” “World’s Best CEO” and for co-founding the Conscious Capitalism Movement, which focuses on doing business in a more conscious way.
As Buddha once said, “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Insincerity is always ultimately revealed and business lost. However, sincerity is absolute and survives even the most turbulent times. People can forgive honest people and are willing to preserve relationships, but it’s hard and most often impossible for them to forgive the dishonest or insincere.
How To Do It
Clear your mind through exercise, meditation or some creative activity that you enjoy and takes you away from the chaos in your mind. Ninety-five percent of the thoughts you have today are the ones you had yesterday. By clearing your mind, you can become detached and gain clarity, insights and solutions. It opens the mind to greater possibilities in both business and life.
Start to observe objectively and pay close attention to situations, attachments, ideas, thoughts, behaviors and feelings and how you are affected by them. You may feel empowered by seeing situations or goals that you feel are easily achievable and yet dismayed by pieces that feel conflicting, overly challenging or perhaps even impossible. For instance, you may feel dismayed, stressed and even overwhelmed at the thought of reaching your monetary goals. You may also notice you become plagued by these thoughts for hours, days or even weeks, which cuts into your productivity.
To resolve these negative patterns, you must approach the solution like peeling an onion that has many layers. Remember, until you reach the core, the solution will not be revealed. Relaxation, patience, objectivity and observation are essential to mastering this process.
Find a quiet place, close your eyes and develop a slow and steady sustainable breath. Relax, observe your thoughts, pay close attention to the emotions you feel when you see yourself not attaining the monetary rewards. Note how you typically react to that feeling. Perhaps you notice anxiety, pressure, uncertainty that causes you to become curt with people or even yell. You will see that these behaviors foster dissent, diminish cooperation and productivity and make your goal more distant.
Step back from these thoughts, observe them and remind yourself that you are not attached to them. They are not in your best interest and interfere with the objectivity needed to act in your own best interest. This new awareness will allow you to catch yourself in the moment and afford you the opportunity to react and be your authentic self and in your best interests. It will also foster the cooperation and monetary results you seek.
Pay close attention to your precious observations, thoughts, behaviors and feelings and refine them into writing. Being able to reflect on your journal entries over time will provide perspective and clarity during confusing times and keep you on your path to financial success. Use pen and paper instead of an electronic device. It is more reinforcing and therapeutic. Keep this journal and pen with you at all times and close to your bed. Thoughts come at various times and, in my particular case, usually in the middle of the night or early in the morning upon rising.
Find your authentic self, create the roadmap for your dreams, and master this strategy to create the momentum necessary to transcend inner conflicts effortlessly to achieve your goals. Learn, as I did, that you can achieve things even beyond your dreams. In one instance, I was able to close a business deal that afforded me the opportunity to live in Aspen for the entire summer with my then-wife and kids without working a single day.
I’m grateful, through owning 50+ businesses, to have discovered this strategy that I can share. What’s great is it works for everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or amount of business or life experience. It’s also proven and applies to a successful business and happy life.
I often reflected on the best interests of my family to get in touch with my authentic self. It enabled me to connect better with employees, partners and others. I made decisions based on everyone’s best interest and moved along unimpeded and created the necessary momentum to make each business successful.
This winning strategy enabled me to acquire homes, cars, all the possessions I wanted, travel the world, have a big bank account and enough passive income to not have to work. It also reduced the stress, anxiety and sleepless nights. Try it!
