P.S. (I apologize for the pixelated image in the footage, I’ve been having some tech issues adjusting my biz here in Maui, but I couldn’t let that stop me from sharing the inspiration with you.)
What do Jay Z, Stephen King and Thomas Edison have in common? They are all wildly successful but had to overcame HUGE obstacles to get to where they are.
~ No record label would sign Jay Z, yet that didn’t stop him from creating his own music powerhouse, the insanely lucrative Roc-A-Fella Records! TIME ranked him one of their 2013 Most Influential People In The World.
~ Stephen King’s first novel was rejected over 30 times, his wife had to retrieve this first manuscript out of the trash. “Carrie” has now sold more than 350,000 copies, ranking King the top 10 best selling authors in the world.
~ When a journalist asked Thomas Edison if he felt like a failure he responded, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work…” and soon after, electricity was born and he changed the world forever.
I know you have a deep desire to make a difference in this world and perhaps you are working really hard to make your dream a reality. I have some sweet news for you…making your goal a reality could be easier than you think.
It is easy to look at successful people and think they have this life thing all figured out. They may seem like the A+ students of life. But being successful isn’t all its cracked up to be if you aren’t happy. The most successful people have a pattern of behavior that helps them connect to happiness every day. Instead of gauging their success by their bank account numbers, they aim for other benchmarks – things like “Did I make a difference today?” or “Am I doing the best I can?“
We all want to be happy and healthy, but for many of us that means reaching a certain level of success as well. When I left my job in corporate to become my own boss and play with the world, writing, public speaking and life coaching, I struggled. At first, I was always looking outside of myself and comparing my efforts to others. It wasn’t until I asked myself these key questions did my business transform. Instead of struggling to make things work, I allowed my business to flow naturally. Today, I run my business more successfully. I no longer look outside of myself and I trust that everything is in right order. I discovered the surprising success secret which took me to the next level.
If you want to be successful beyond your wildest dreams, ask yourself the questions the world’s most successful people ask themselves.
1. Am I Failing Enough?
Thomas Edison said it best, “I am not a failure, I just found 1000 ways electricity will not work.” Than BAM!, on the 1001 try, electricity was born. Never give up on your dreams – keep going! With each new failure you have a new opportunity to achieve success. If you aren’t failing enough, you aren’t trying hard enough.
2. How Much Fun am I Having?
Successful people gauge their success by the amount of fun they are having. Successful people absolutely love their jobs, so for many it doesn’t feel like they work a day of their life – in fact it is mostly play.
3. Do I Use My Fear to Motivate Action?
We all have fears, but the difference between successful people and those who ignore their dreams is FEAR. Successful people use their fear to motivate them to action instead of letting it take them out of the game and pull them under. Fear can be used as a tool to help guide you to your inspiration.
4. Am I Connected to My Inspiration?
The world’s most successful people stay inspired and use their inspiration to create new ideas. Inspiration is the catalyst to self-actualization.
5. Am I in a State of Flow?
Uber-successful people ride the waves of life with grace and ease, instead of fighting against the current and pushing in directions that are closed off. Relax into the natural rhythm of your life and watch your dreams come true.
I would love to hear your comments below, how are you embracing your failures?
~Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com
I’m embracing my failures by continuing to forge forward with my new business. At first I didn’t even think of it as a business. I shared a quote (I’ve been writing poetry since 97 but never shared any do to fear) on Facebook and had the idea to put it on a T-shirt. So I released my quote and T-shirt campaign on my personal page initially which was a huge mistake. I didn’t receive support from friends nor family like I assumed I would because I thought if you like me you would like my new venture. So to recover from the rejection, I started a Facebook business page Alicia Roshawn Poetry & Clothing. My failure led to my quote being shared on other business pages like Build Your Confidence and The Girl God which gave me confidence in my poetry. Now my T-shirt was dismal, in the end I had to save the campaigns by buying the remaining shirts myself but what I learned was this failure could lead to success in the future by having access to my own product. Confirmation to keep going came when an answer I left on Oprah’s Life Tour Facebook page was made into a new post on that very page. It was like I finally admitted I’m a writer, I’m a poet and I’m worthy of being happy and successful. I realize sharing my thoughts, poetry is the most scariest thing in the world. I almost feel naked but for the first time in my life I also feel liberated. I worked corporate America for 18 years miserable. So to finally face my fear of sharing my poetry and being bold enough to process products with my quotes and poems is facing my failure as growth. I didn’t realize it could be a business till fellow entrepreneurs brought it to my attention that what I initially did was actually start a business. So now I’m in the process of releasing more of my poetry and researching product marketability going forward. Also, I no longer have expectations to be supported by friends and family. I think not having automatic expectations but embracing anyone who feels my writing and/or product was the greatest lesson I’ve learned so far from my failings. I love your book, page and emails. Thank you for this message. This is inspiration to keep going.
High five Alicia, Amazing work on growing and starting your own new business. Keep going and follow your heart. I would love to see your poetry. Send to Shannon@playwiththeworld.com
Hey great to see you having a fun time in Hawaii that waterfall is stunning. I had such a rubbish day yesterday. I am really unhappy with how things are not progressing in my life. Sounds mard I know but this has been an ongoing problem for a while now. What the video made me realise is that everything we experience in life is here to teach us a lesson. I like how you make us realise that by making mistakes this is all about growing. Its so easy not to see this and feel like a failure. I also like how you show us to surrender that some things we cant change but we should always look for opportunities for growth and not to be afraid to make a mistake. Have a great day Shannon and cant wait to see more of your adventures. Love n hugs Mel
Melanie, thank you so much for opening up and sharing. It is true everything can be a lesson, and we can be open to learning. It lessons the blow of failure. Yes you nailed it we aren’t failing we are just learning, which makes it fun. Glad you are enjoying the Hawaii adventures. Hugs, Shannon
Hi Shannon, I just want to say a big thank you for all of your inspirational stories! Since reading Find Your Happy a year ago and following your blog posts ever since, it has changef my life in the best possible way! I finally found the courage to do the things that I had only ever dreamed of and thanks to you I finally got the courage to start my own blog, something I had wanted to do for a long time! Thanks again and love your work 🙂
I am so happy you are finding your happy, thanks for all your support and sharing Deborah. Congratulations on your blog that is so amazing.