The Client Letter
September 25, 2013
The Desert of Arizona
Sunny 64 Degrees
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A few days ago, during a call with a coaching client, I relayed a story from my past that I’d like to share with you today.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been an overachiever. Someone who goes above and beyond and achieves things at a level most don’t.
On the surface, that sounds pretty cool.
But sadly, I didn’t do “more” for the right reasons. I did more to get approval. For validation. To feel OK. Straight A’s made me feel OK. Winning competitions made me feel OK. Getting accolades from teachers made me feel OK.
That’s been by M.O. for quite some time.
I spent a lot of time and energy to get told by the outside world just how awesome I was.
But then one day, not too long ago, something very profound happened to me.
For just a moment, just an instant really, I slipped into actually believing that I was awesome. Oops.
That might sound funny to say, but it’s true. I actually caught myself believing. Instead of striving to be awesome I actually FELT that way.
Now it just lasted for a short time. And by brain soon kicked in and did its best to rectify the “mistake.”
But for that split second, I slipped up and actually believed in myself.
That’s a feeling I will never forget. And that’s a feeling that will revolutionize your life and your business in a blink if you allow it in.
Because once you feel it, there’s no going back. Now that I’ve felt it, I practice recalling it. And it’s becoming more and more of a habit, more and more of the time.
Oh there’s plenty of proof from the outside that this is true. I bet if you look at your life and business, you have plenty of proof too.
But that doesn’t matter. What matters is what YOU believe.
And so, ever since that moment I just described to you, my “over-achieving” has begun to take on a different flavor. The goal isn’t to do it for approval from others…
These days, the goal is to do it for approval from myself. Because that’s the level I’m supposed to be playing at. That’s where I belong. And when I OWN that, good things happen.
This is the secret. You are here to be awesome. But if you don’t believe it, it just doesn’t exist.