Are You Letting Others Tell You Who You Should Be?

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a large audience of individuals in the midst of career transition. These folks ranged from people who desperately needed a job because they had been out of work for a long time to people pro-actively seeking to reinvent their professional and personal lives. One theme that ran throughout all their stories was that they were being told by "experts" that they have to be someone they are not if they want to be successful. These tidbits of so-called well-meaning advice looked like:

* If you’ve always done "x", it isn’t possible to change careers and do "y".
* You’re too old/too young to earn that much money.
* You have to be whomever they want you to be if you think you’re going to work for/with them.

When I hear these sorts of things, it gets my panties in a twist. Why? Because while there could be some useful information hidden in the "advice"; they way it is delivered doesn’t serve people in any way, shape, or form. What positive outcome could possible grow from telling people that they don’t really matter as individuals, they just need to suck it up and fit the mold of whomever is hiring?

I spent decades trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and "fit in" where I was never meant to "fit in". I asked all kinds of mentors and experts for advice and tried to be someone I was not. Do you know what? All these fabricated actions never led to one iota of success. Then I dropped the façade and stood confidently in my truth, then and only then was I able to achieve success on the inside and out.

Granted, sometimes this was met with resistance from others who wanted me to be someone I was not. I had one ineffective and insecure manager literally ask me to leave my personality at the door. Yet it was because of, not in spite of this, that I realized that success is impossible if you compromise your own integrity.

Because I’ve had these experiences and moved through them to the other side, I’m on a personal crusade to guide others to believe and then experience the truth that you don’t have to sacrifice your authentic self to succeed in the world. There is another way. In fact it is the only way you can create true and lasting success.

What would it be like for you if you could:
* Experience the satisfaction and achievement that comes from knowing what you do every day is in harmony with who you are at the deepest level?
* Feel fully confident in who you are and what you are here to offer?
* Express your essence and talents in a way that serves others and by doing so you are able to receive great rewards, financial and otherwise?

Life Alchemy™ is about embracing the person you most want to be in this world and then expressing that through everything you do. It becomes the foundation from which you serve the world, earn your living, and choose how to spend your time.

Does this mean that you never have to change, adjust, or grow in order to be successful? Absolutely not. In fact willingness to do so is a requirement if you want to experience something different than what you are already experiencing.

If you think about it, at the core, your life, career, and business and the success, meaning, and results you derive from it will always come from you. It’s not "out there" somewhere swirling around waiting to randomly land on your doorstop if you’re "lucky". It begins with and ultimately flows to and through you.

No one else can ever be an expert on who you most want to be, but you.
Life Alchemy™ Coaching Step:
1. Take stock of where you are right now in your career and business. Notice if you’re experience the results you want or feeling like you’re coming up short.
2. Make a list of all the expert advice you’ve been given over time. Simply list it in bullet form on a piece of paper. Don’t judge any of this advice as good or bad, just list it down.
3. Next to each item on the list - make a note of whether this advice is serving you (meaning you can directly see how being, doing, acting in this way is bringing you positive results), holding you back, or perhaps you’re not sure so just mark those with a "?"
4. Identify - in which areas do you see the biggest need for a change for the better? Circle those items.

If you’re ready to break through the myth of having to be someone you’re not in order to succeed or want help identifying what that best next step is for you in your career and business, you’re in luck. While only you can be an expert on you, sometimes you need a guide to help you get clear and take action. I specialize in helping people do just that. Contact me at my website listed in my bio if you’re ready to meet and move forward to succeed on your own terms.