Blog #520: Don’t Bring the Fake

Recently…

I took an impromptu class on
“How to Succeed.“

My instructor was a 10-year-old girl.

I was in Mexico.

I was sitting on the boardwalk in Cabo San Lucas…writing.
I was looking for inspiration when my unplanned class started.

She had laid out a brightly colored blanket on the sidewalk…and from the cart she had pulled…she meticulously started unwrapping and setting out string bracelets and other small items to sell to the passing walkers.

After setting up her sales office…

She poured herself a small portion of soda from the bottle she was carrying. She took a sip…and then set her cup carefully behind her sales blanket.

She then stood in front of her blanket…and generously started smiling and saying “Hola!” to all who passed. Her authentic energy was undeniable.

People kept stopping.
People kept looking.
People kept buying.

She was pouring everything she had into what she was doing.

And she was succeeding mightily.
______

Amazing, awesome, fantastic…success.

It’s selling “bracelets.”
It’s finding the job we love.
It’s being happily married for 30 years.
It’s mending perfectly from the surgery.
It’s not worrying about paying this month’s bills.
It’s feeling great about ourselves when we look in the mirror.
It’s being happy and feeling harmony in the good and the not-so-good.

Success is 1,000 things.

And it feels incredible.

But how do we find it more consistently?
______

Why did the 10-year-old succeed in selling when others weren’t?

It’s because she didn’t bring the fake.

She wasn’t just going through the motions.
She wasn’t just showing up and checking off boxes.
She wanted success with everything she had.

She brought 100% intention.
She brought 100% heart.
She brought 100% action.
______

Often…

We make ourselves feel better by pointing to bad luck, bad timing, bad circumstances, and bad people as reasons for our failures.

And then we whine.
And whine.
And maybe even wine.

But…

#1. Is our whining and reasons for not succeeding based in truth?
#2. Do our efforts really justify the high expectations we have?

Two questions to ponder.
______

Bringin’ it home…

There’s a 10-year-old girl in Mexico passionate about selling and succeeding. She also happens to have a concurrent side gig as a success teacher.

I’m one of her lucky students.

And what this great salesperson teaches me is that just showing up, checking off boxes and going through the motions is not “How to Succeed.“

Success comes when we…

Don’t bring the fake.