How often have you seen the same “successful” person in the news 100+ times? They’re in Time magazine on the list of the most influential/beautiful/cool people. They’re the “rockstar,” bestselling/best-winning/best-dressed. Wherever they go, they’re relentlessly pushed through the camera-wielding paparazzi. They’re on Facebook with 2.5 million+ fans even though they never update their page — it seems like they even have a fan page for their dog that has more friends than you do. They always tweet about the most mundane, lame things (e.g., “I’m off to Hawaii for the third time. Hoping 2 catch a nice wave…“). And try as you might, you can’t delete them from your mind. Everywhere you turn, they’re there, packaged and sold as the embodiment of “success.” It gets annoying. It gets old. “How can I ever become that successful?” you ask, looking at your life that consists of a nine-to-five churn, bills that (like money-hungry vampires) suck the life out of your paycheck, and a future that is as yet: unknown.
So how do you achieve your full potential if when you think of success you’re constantly haunted by that pervasive “rockstar”?
At one point in my life, I was stuck in the mad pursuit of “success,” pushing to become someone I wasn’t. I obsessed about the definition of success for others, rather than defining it for myself. But something happened that changed everything: While driving on a road trip with my wife Julia, I had a conversation with her about my goals, and who I wanted to become. And I’ll be forever grateful that she had the courage to challenge all of it. All of it. She told me to stop trying to be someone else, and to be myself. For years, I had obsessed over imitating “successful” people rather than innovating my own life. As soon as I shifted my focus to becoming the best version of myself, I was able to level up my life in a dramatic way.
Here’s what I’ve learned: Stop comparing yourself to others, because Being You Rocks.
You have infinite potential and you are more powerful than you can possibly imagine. No one has ever lived who’s like you. You have superior gifts and talents that can change peoples’ lives, and maybe even change the world. With humble confidence you will make the difference, since you know the best is yet to come, and that great things come to those who work.
If you believe that life is more than nine to five, and that your faith, family and friends are your core, you won’t be as interested in being the smartest or most famous person in the room, instead you will become the most inspired with a powerful vision, focused on touching peoples’ lives. Don’t ever think less of yourself, just think less about yourself and more about powering others around you. If you choose to make your mark in the universe, you’ll see life itself is your platform.
If you connect deeply with real ideals, you’ll find your work sticks and that connection makes your life like a movie that matters, echoing Einstein that, “Your imagination is your preview to life’s coming attractions.” If you connect with ideals that produce possibilities, and you write the script of your life with courage, and direct your actions with boldness you’ll create inspiration that brings out the best in everyone.
You’re the product of countless generations who’ve sacrificed everything for your future. You’ve been held in reserve for this moment. It’s your privilege to fight against fake philosophies with real ideals—humility, generosity, hard work, patience, and love—that must be wielded well to deliver the decisive blow for victory. Your destiny is to win not only for yourself, but for everyone. And it starts now with the battles you face each day. How will you define your life? How will you power others with inspiration?
When I finally realized that being me rocks, I faced the fact that I hadn’t been comfortable with me. I stopped, and connected more to real ideals, created my own definition for success, and got inspired—making my life more powerful than ever before.
Forget the paparrazi, the “Rockstar” and the delusional definitions of “success.” Level up your life. Create a purpose that gets you up in the morning and makes you dream dreams at night. Ground your goals in service so you become a force of nature, lifting yourself and others to higher levels than you’ve ever been before, innovating everything in your life to become more uniquely powerful in the universe. And never forget that Being You Rocks.
Cross-posted on LinkedIn
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisDeaver
Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com