sunday

Stop the Stamina Stealing Say-So of THEY

THEY are stamina stealing thieves – IF I choose to give the power to their demands.

I sold knives in college – and had a 100% closing rate (which means every single time I presented the knives I made a sale). Ironically, I recently watched a rerun of “NCIS” and Abby was talking about how she sold knives in college. “The key is to really believe in the product.”

I did.

Today, I am still selling. I sell my books. I sell my coaching services. I sell my speaking – and my closing rate has been well below that mark I set in college.

WHY?

Define the number one thing standing in the way of your success and you are that much closer to having it Click To Tweet

I have been working through that question as of late. It should be easy. I should believe in what I am doing even more than I believe in the knives (because I may not still sell them but I use them EVERY day!).

It hit me as I put together the Mountain Valley Writers Conference and I began to gather together this amazing group of speakers. I wanted an event that would not only inspire people to get out there and put their words to work. I wanted an event that would give them the tools and the boldness to get it done.

Ultimately, it is ALL about marketing – whether you are selling knives, your books, your speaking services, or even your ministry. And ultimately, marketing comes down to just two elements:

    1. Make connections that you grow into relationships.

    2. Be relentlessly helpful.

It is simple!

I have skills and abilities that you don’t have. YOU have skills and abilities that I don’t have. When I invest in making the connections and I pursue a relationship with those connections then I begin to see the differences. I can reach out to you and help you where you are with what I do best. Hopefully, you will do the same.

Which leads me back around to why I think my closing rate is so much lower now that it was in college. FEAR.

I am afraid to have the confidence in my words because THEY say I shouldn’t.

THEY have said that independently publishing is an insult to the written word. THEY say that electronic books are not really books. THEY say that only the gatekeepers can deem words valuable.

I listened for long enough to believe what THEY had to say. The stamina stealing declarations stopped me in my tracks despite my amazing plans and determined focus.

IF you have visited with me for more than a moment, or if you have been reading along with me on my journey, you may have caught on that I am not a fan of the “Great THEY.” And yet I fall right into line with the declarations and demands.

Because of FEAR.

False Evidence Appearing Real – #FEAR has the power when I choose to believe the false narrative Click To Tweet

I meet with a bi-weekly mastermind group – let’s just call them the Brazen Babes. They are encouraging me to be bold in doing it my way. I told them not too long ago that I was taking on an attitude of “get on board or get run over.” Enough was enough. Too much time slipped by talking about what I knew I was supposed to be doing and too little time had been invested in the actual doing.

Stepping out on to that limb takes more than courage. It takes stamina. THEY will attack from every point possible when you dare to do it your way.

Avoid the Stamina Stealing Statues of THEY

    – Find someone that can lift you up. Cheerleaders are great deflections of the stamina stealing statues THEY will throw your way.

    – Stop listening. Turn off the television or the social media or whatever THEY are using to get into your head. If you don’t give them space then THEY won’t have your focus.

    – See the close. I always took time to image the closing of the sell before I stepped into the presentation in the first place. I believed it was going to happen and then I took the steps to make it happen. I have to see it, so I can believe it, so I can do it.

I am still finding my way in this writing and speaking journey. I have made progress in the last few weeks but I know that I still have to take that next step.

We all have a unique path to take. It will not look like the path around us or the other paths described to us because each path will be unique. Unique is not “normal” and anything that moves outside the normal flow will seem out of place. THEY will move to push you back into the way they have deemed “right.”

Never give in. See your path. Believe in your path. Pursue your path.

I am learning.

Taking Steps to Walk My Unique Path

    – Be honest – with yourself and with others. Mike Rowe recently shared a letter he received because he wanted to show the power of truth in advertising. I laughed along with him as he shared the words in the letter. It was a fun reminder that if I am honest with you then you will have a reason to believe me when I say the words I share are worth your time.

    – Know your reasons – my friend, Nate Fortner, had a bad experience with publishing when he first started out and he wanted other writers to never have that same experience. He started WhoSoever Press to provide the tools for authors to take control of their writing journey. He knows why he is doing what he is doing and he is refusing to back down to what THEY have to say about his choices.

    – expect opposition – because it will come. It sometimes comes like a brick wall, sometimes like a slithering snake, and sometimes like a tornado. But there are times that it comes in the form of a well-meaning friend or family member. Things will happen that will make you question the journey (which is the number one reason you should be honest about your why).

    – don’t stop! Don’t stop believing. Don’t stop moving. Don’t stop learning. Don’t ever stop daring to try. Momentum drives momentum. It is okay to take a rest, or to slow down for a moment, but have a direct plan that will keep you stepping down that unique path.

I don’t have all the answers – as of yet – but I am closer today than I was yesterday. As long as I continue to push FEAR aside then I will be in a position to take the next step (big or small) to smash the stamina stealing say-so of the “Great and powerful THEY.”

Push aside the curtain and see the truth for what it is. My way is the best way for me.

Be blessed,


I am still working on #makingmyownway – how about you? Share your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to link to your articles about how you are living out your #unique life!


Are you ready to define your WHY and make a stand against THEY?

Place in Purpose walks you through the four questions (including why) you need to answer to determine your purpose and plot a plan to reach it. Order your copy today.

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