Success Amplifies What is Already There

Do you dream of a big financial windfall to solve your money woes? Are you waiting for that one big business deal or career achievement so you can feel like you’ve truly arrived? If so, I’m here to tell you that the big achievement you are striving and waiting for will only amplify what is already there.

I’m not saying that succeeding and achieving won’t feel great – it often does. And, well thought out goals that align with who you really are and what you really want is one of the most fulfilling parts of life’s journey. However, what often makes them feel hollow or sets you up for a letdown is expecting that somehow an achievement is going to fundamentally change who you are and how you experience the world.

For instance, I can remember my first job out of college. I did not like being there and could not wait to find a different company. I was convinced once I switched companies things would be great! Well, I ended up spending 7 years there. Then, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to not only go to a new company but also enter a new field (web programming) – now things would be ideal, right? Well, it was a good opportunity and a job I enjoyed but you know what? I hadn’t fundamentally changed and I was still simply trying to stick a square peg into a round hole. It wasn’t all that different. I wasn’t any happier in the long run, and found myself experiencing the same déjà vu again just with a different cast of characters. Ever feel that way?

I was watching Alanis Morrisette do a mini interview on the Sundance Channel program Abbey Road recently. She was talking about her success as a musician and rock star. One of the greatest lessons she learned about herself while becoming super successful is that success only amplifies what is already there. If you are at war with yourself, it gets that much more intense.

For instance, if you are an overachiever like I am, have you ever found yourself reaching a goal but not feeling like it was “good enough”? You know – like the Olympic medalists who pout like a spoiled kid because they ONLY won the silver medal. Now I “get” wanting to win the gold, but a silver medal in the Olympics is nothing to sneeze at. Well, I did the same sort of thing in my life – graduating “only” 4th in my class or playing a recital piece perfect except for one small passage. I was already feeling badly about myself and only beat myself up more because I was chasing some perfection that didn’t exist.

So just think about this in your own life. Think about a time when you had a goal you were oh so sure was going to “make it all right” – the next promotion, raise, etc. Somehow an external goal is going to be like a fairy godmother waving her magic wand and making everything A-OK. Now, think about your life right after you achieved a goal you had set. Did your life fundamentally change? Did your way of being shift at its core? Did self-sabotage and money woes vanish instantly? I think not! Why? Because the one thing that remained constant both before and after was YOU. As I say over and over – wherever you go, there you are. There’s no escaping this fact.

So if success only amplifies what is already there, does that mean you shouldn’t have goals, desire more wealth, or take action to fulfill your dreams? Absolutely Not! What it does mean is that you can have more of what you want RIGHT NOW by working from the inside out and becoming more of the person you most want to be today. The real secret to this win-win is not only do you get more of what you want right now and find yourself happier and more fulfilled, but you also grease the rails for achieving your desires. The real super duper win in all of this is that when you do achieve your desires you are amplifying what you really want instead of simply turning up the volume on what you don’t desire.

Are you ready to get clarity and learn how to live from the inside out? Being successful and comfortable in your own skin is not a goal “out there” but a way of being every day. If you’re ready to experience that in your own life, I invite you to get in touch with me to set up a time to chat 1 on 1 and learn how to make that happen.