I have an acquaintance (let’s call him Sam), who has more potential than many people I know.
Sam’s well-educated, smart, interesting to talk to and has good people skills. He looks good, he smells good—and he’s broke.
And I don’t mean just financially. His spirit is broken. He’s physically overdrawn and emotionally bankrupt.
Sam has read lots of success literature. He has a good grasp of the principles of success. Most people would say he has a good attitude but they, like me, have been somewhat baffled by his less-than-stellar performance.
Sam wants desperately to succeed. He’s been successful before. He can do it again, but will he?
So what’s Sam’s problem? I don’t know him well enough to know all the reasons he stays stuck, but I have some observations.
Sam has two major challenges: 1) He doesn’t love what he’s doing, and 2) he doesn’t consistently do the things he knows he must in order to succeed.
Like many people today, Sam wants to make it big. As we see people in their twenties becoming millionaires through stock options and IPOs, it’s easy to feel like we’ve missed—or are missing—the boat. Sam feels a need to remain in his chosen profession because it’s what he knows and where he thinks the big bucks can be made. But money won’t make him successful. He needs to become successful on the inside before it happens on the outside.
If Sam loved what he did and it wasn’t turning out all that profitable, he could continue to look for ways to make it work. But since it’s not working and he doesn’t even like doing it, it seems to me the Universe is telling him loud and clear to make a different career choice.
Like the rabbit in The Tortoise and the Hare, Sam works in spurts. He burns out, gets sidetracked and loses momentum. And every time he does, he feels like a failure. His self-esteem plummets and he feels guilty for not doing what he set out to do. Each time this happens, it becomes harder and harder to get started again.
Sam thinks he needs to enhance his self-esteem in order to make better progress. What I think he needs to do is find something he’s excited about, set some reasonable goals and take the steps to achieve them. As he succeeds in small matters, his confidence and self-worth will climb. From there, he can set some bigger goals and create a bigger game—a game worth playing. By doing something he loves, he’ll be enjoying the price of success instead of paying the price of success. His health will improve, his net worth will go up right along with his self-respect, and he will affect all those around him in a positive way.
I firmly believe that our life works in direct proportion to how well-synched we are to our true purpose—our unique contribution to the world.
When we’re engaged in something joyful, it doesn’t seem like work and the results can be magical. As John Ruskin wrote, “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”
Sam didn’t arrive at where he is overnight, and he may not turn it around quickly either. There will undoubtedly be major breakthroughs and blinding flashes of the obvious. But he needs to stay the course in order to have this happen.
We all need to run (or walk) the race like the tortoise but also make sure we’re in the right race. Clarity of purpose and consistent investments of time and effort toward that purpose will always win.
Recommended Reading
Discover Your Empowering Purpose
Live Your Life with More Meaning, Significance and Fulfillment
Empowering Purpose is a real game changer. If you’re looking for more direction, inspiration, motivation, determination and devotion, read this book, go through the exercises and watch your life catch fire.
