"Where the needs of the world cross with your talents, therein lies your vocation". Aristotle
Master Secret: To Uncover Your Mission
Strategy: What would you do if you couldn't fail?
Aristotle had a great point here about the logical connection between world needs and our own personal vocation. It makes a great deal of sense to contemplate this state of mind for a little while and consider that every major invention or discovery ever made was made at this very juncture.
By understanding this simple concept, we have a firmer platform upon which to work out what we love doing, and also, to establish what the world potentially needs, which we can offer. Many employers who have gone into business for themselves started at this very juncture and have simultaneously filled a gap in the market with their product or service.
At our seminars, people tend to ask how to find what they love and how to locate where their passion lies. It's different for everyone, but there’s an exercise we can all take part in to give us a start.
We go back in time (or forward) to find a solution in the present. We talk about a time where an Utopian future exists. How would it look? What would you do for a living if this society didn’t need a fiscal strategy to operate? There would be no banks, no local or global currency, no interest rates, fees, or saving deposits. Nor would there be investment properties, capital reserves, government deficit or surplus, poor/rich people, or politics with which to concern ourselves.
With currency totally obliterated, trade would also slow to a barter system, and within this system, individuals would find semi-meaningful pursuits. Everything and everyone would operate in harmony with one another. Food and shelter would be plentiful, and no-one would have to beg, borrow or steal. No - one would need to keep up with the Joneses, because no - one would know who the Joneses were. You could offer your service (your passion) at no charge, and likewise, you could ask a favour from another, with no chance of refusal. It sounds like the sort of Utopia many could very well imagine.
Now ask yourself, what would your service be? Close your eyes, imagine your new society, and tell me what you would do? If you said inventor, then you may be smarter than you think! Would you be an iron weaver? Would it be in food harvesting, or perhaps counselling others in your tribe? Would you want to build sculptures or make a musical instrument? Would you build huts, shelter, or seek out neighbouring tribes? Would you be the village wise man/woman or a marriage celebrant of sorts, or possibly just tend to your village grounds?
Let me guess, you still want to be the village inventor? Then, let's start inventing.
The reason for this exercise is to get us thinking in more simple terms of what we love; what would we do if no-one had a say in who we were to become? What would we do if only we alone chose our path, without fear, doubt or dogma? Believing in our personal mission and vision for a life we wish to create for ourselves in today’s world can sometimes be tough, because we don’t actually live within that earthy bliss and simple Utopia. We live in a world where money, for the most part, lubricates the doors of desire for what we want to achieve for ourselves and for our families.
Discovering what we want to do with our brief visit here on Earth is a mind - boggling endeavour. There’s so much to consider and so little time to master what we consider being a worthwhile pursuit. To get a little more clarity on this Master Secret, ask yourself where your talent lies. Or, how would it be possible to learn a skill to capitalise on your natural talents? How can you expose this talent to the world and get paid for it? We all have unique gifts, but only some of us open our minds up to the possibility of using them.
If your focus, for example, is on on achieving a one million dollar annual income, then below is some food for thought:
You need 5,000 people to buy your $200 product or service
You need 2,000 people to buy your $500 product or service
You need 1,000 people to buy your $1000 product or service
You need 500 people to buy your $2,000 product or service
You need 300 people to buy your $3,333 product or service
Get 5,000 people to pay you $17 per month for your service
Get 2000 people to pay you $42 per month for your service
Get 1000 people to pay you $83 per month for your service
Get 500 people to pay you $167 per month for your service
Get 300 people to you $278 per month for your service
This example is intended to get your talent, personal vision and mind working collectively.
This Master Secret though is more about searching for your calling, rather than just earning money. It's intended to guide us along a path; to open our thoughts and observations to what is possible if we apply our powerful mindset to diligently finding our purpose through creativeness and perseverance.
Can you imagine if the great tenor Pavarotti became a Soccer player? Can you imagine Michael Jordan being a carpenter? Can you imagine if Gandhi remained a lawyer? It’s because they found their passion (or a wrong they wanted to right) and then went on to live it, that the world thanked them for it. Would there be any similarities between Pavarotti, Gandhi and Michael Jordan? Some would say nothing, while others may say everything. And the latter would be true. All three believed in hard work, perseverance, while knowing the status quo could be shaken up. Could the next person who has similar talents achieve the same success without the same work ethic, positive mindset and perseverance?
A key performance indicator for many is the amount of dollars that can be earned in a profession. So from this, what happens? Money is their purpose, drive, dream, fulfillment and ambition, all rolled into one. Or, at least for a period of time it is. However, ask yourself how you can feel fulfilled. There’s really only one answer after your thoughts have danced around the money tree. The answer is fulfillment. The key to true fulfillment lies in being of service to others, and to do this without an expectation of anything in return is the key. When we are of genuine service to others, our ego shrinks; our kindness and vulnerabilities are exposed and our hearts open to the beauty of what we’re capable of impacting outside our own ego. That is why I believe it's your opportunity and moral imperative to follow your dreams with a sense of urgency. It’s the best way we can be collectively of service to the world through our specific talent, time and service.
Nevertheless, dream - chasing is also a hard business to be in and it will take everything you’ve got and more. We need the support of family, partners, mentors, coaches and friends to prop us up when we feel things aren’t going our way. Most times we can receive that support, but there are other times when we don’t receive the emotional and logical guidance we need. So, what can we do when the people whom we love cannot assist or don’t share our passion for our chosen direction? What do we do in times when we don’t have the physical, financial or emotional support? If we can get our minds around this road block rather quickly, then we can create a mental strategy for dealing with "down moments", provided we maintain poise, respect, reverence, humility and responsibility in the pursuit of our larger vision.
The truth of the matter is, only you can truly and fully appreciate your uniqueness. Family members, friends and colleagues who claim to “know you” will offer direction, thoughts and advice, based on how they see you. Yet, as often as their comments and advice can sometimes carry weight, they will never get it right for you 100% of the time, and nor would you want them to. No - one is born to be the keeper of you. Fulfilling dreams is an area sometimes very separate from the “do it my way” advice of friends, family and colleagues. Why? Because it’s a very personal journey, and it's a path that is designed just for you. And if you doubt it, consider that every experience you’ll have from today until you pass over, will be a specific, tailored learning experience that is designed just for you to grow into your potential.
Not long ago, I spoke with an accident victim. She told me about how she swerved to avoid a piece of sheet metal on a highway close to her home. As she was explaining the story in great detail, someone else at the table chimed in with a solution that would have prevented her from hitting the sheet metal, and he was insistent that his maneuvering technique would have worked. So I ask you: How valid was his comment? He wasn’t there. He wasn't familiar with the driver's reaction skills, the exact speed of the car, the distance of the car to the curb, and nor was he aware of the whereabouts of other cars around her. Was he aware there could have been a baby capsule in the car next to her, which may have been hit should the car have swerved differently? Did he know her reaction time and the sharpness of this particular vehicle’s maneuverability? Do you think this experience was, perhaps, a learning curve for the driver?
Life has a strange way of getting us through hardship today so that we can experience growth in preparation for an ever - important event tomorrow. So many people have stories of struggle, and from their hindsight, they can learn important lessons for later life situations. These situations often defy conventional logic and reasoning. I believe it's an area for which we must adjust our logical tolerance.
The Secret to beginning our journey is to have an internal conversation about how we want to get where we want to be. In order to do that, we need to consistently filter the conversation within as well as the conversation from our outside environment. Only then can we achieve our most desired personal truth. Advice is great, but if it gets in the way of our true purpose and vision, be selective about how much you absorb.
"Ok", I hear you say. "I’m passionate and ambitious, but how do I find what I’m good at?"
Think of your fondest desire – the thing you’re naturally good at. This 'area' will give you the most joy, happiness and satisfaction. Maybe you want to help people who are less fortunate than you? Perhaps you only want to earn a lot of money? Perhaps you want to be a property mogul? Assist cancer victims? Feed the hungry? Be a climate change activist? What’s your personal truth and what gives you the most satisfaction? These are the questions that only you can answer.
When we look around, we see poets who are laying bricks, musicians who are repairing cars, and shoe shop owners who are yearning for a pilot's licence. What does it take to follow our dreams?
A single word gets us to action, and that word usually keeps us there. That word is courage.
It takes deep courage to pursue a dream. It takes courage to think about the potential of an idea while dealing with the concept of leaving security. It ultimately takes courage to put pen to paper, weigh-up the risks, secure arrangements, and to inform family and friends that you intend to follow through. It then takes the courage to act and continue to persevere with all that needs to be undertaken until your dream is realised. That’s a lot of courage, but it’s courage that ultimately separates success from failure.
In 2014, I took a calculated risk, and my decision was based as much on the premise of innovation as it was on personal significance. To my employer at the time, I pitched an idea of reducing workdays, and I explained how I could fit a five day week into four days. To begin with, I worked autonomously, so trust wasn’t an issue, and I would never betray that trust by beginning my dream behind his back.
I then showed him the plan and explained how it could be executed. “So - why do you need an extra day? he asked. Although it didn’t come out quite like this, I responded, “I need to believe in me and I have been formulating an idea that has the ability to revolutionise the way a business - to - business industry buys, sells and communicates." A week later, the answer to my request came as a blow: “Barry, we don’t want to lose you, but if this is something you have to do, you should perhaps find another job.” I couldn't believe what he had said. I was certain I had read the signals, which all pointed to the fact that I could keep income coming in, but venture out at the same time. The Universe had other plans, but do you think I saw it? Absolutely not. I started to doubt my choices and my ability to execute this crazy vision I had, which I believed in wholeheartedly.
It took a good week for my frustration about his decision to subside in me. I decided that it was ultimately his call. After all, it was his business that he built up, and he had taken a foolhardy risk on himself. Was this my turn? My consciousness was bombarded with countless questions every minute of every day. Decision time eventually came: Do I choose security, or do I face the unknown? Do I risk what my wife and I have personally built in pursuit of something bigger? ( Remember, your partner must support your decision).
I then remembered an old quote that sprang into mind: “Don’t be afraid to let go of the good, to go for the great”.
Still, the negative programming and fear persisted: What if I fail? What if I didn’t have what it takes? What if being a business owner just wasn’t me, or wasn’t meant for me? Do I have the discipline? What if I lose money, time, friends? That was the moment I realised the all-important quote from Steve Jobs: "We can't connect the dots looking forward; we can only connect them looking backwards". In other words, no-one can see the future, but we can go into the past to see what led us to this point. Likewise, you must have trust that your path will reveal itself to you once you begin on a path you believe has been given to you. Two weeks later, I received a phone call; a competitor was looking to employ someone three days per week, so this opportunity enabled me to start juggling both areas. With an apprehensive but excited mind, I leaped at the opportunity, hoping I would grow my wings on the way down.
In retrospect, at the time I believed I had already learned certain lessons, but I hadn't. Suddenly, the world looked colder and much more complicated than it did from my previous position within a “secure job”. Fear crept in again, as it tends to do when it senses unworthiness; I started to doubt my abilities, my decision, and I wondered how I could possibly achieve such a large goal. It was a horrible feeling, but at that point, another all-encompassing feeling came over me: Every person I admired in the world had stood exactly where I was standing. This realisation gave me the courage to take the next small step. Consequently, what happened after is the cramming of seven years worth of business and life lessons into the first seven months. This steep learning curve not only solidified my decision-making process, but it also guided my mind into the notion of universal success principles that sanction a path of least resistance, namely, the Law of Attraction. I learned to work with the synergy of “vibrational effort” together with “action effort”, co-creating the future I always dreamed I would have. What we’re talking about here is providence and the ability to understand that some outcomes in life have the uncanny ability to defy the logic of the empirical world.
In following this path, I quickly realised it was crucial to be very selective about what I permitted to enter my thoughts. I am now selective at choosing only thoughts that can elevate my thinking, and which allow me to live out my purpose. This process includes being selective about what I watch, see, hear, feel, and the things to which I expose my mind, including negative images, people, scenarios and situations, all of which subconsciously program my thoughts to a 'play it safe'/'don't risk it', mindset. These negative influences are designed to build-on both doubt and unworthiness. For the first time, I could see behind the veil, which is that most of us make decisions out of fear, rather than out of love. We've become so comfortable and blind in doing so, that it has become part of our DNA. If I doubted this, I looked around and discovered that my personal fears, and that of my closest friends and relatives, were fears that our parents and grandparents had shared as well.
The other principle of which I quickly became aware, is that doubt, not failure, is by far the largest dream killer. Allowing doubt to pull up a chair and stay for dinner is common practice for people who disguise their doubts and fears under a cloak of practicality. Once I sense doubt creeping in these days, I show it the door by remembering that for which I’m grateful, as well as my immediate mission to explore the boundaries of what's indeed possible in life. What I’ve learned since, is when we decide to follow what makes us truly happy, most of us are naturally good at it and can excel. We just need the courage to break out of inherited thinking, apathy, and the perception of security, while simultaneously dealing with the bumps on the road to success.
At a rate of knots, situations in my life are now manifesting in the areas where I am focusing my thoughts. My entrepreneurial decision has now opened doors in new areas that I could neither have imagined nor expected had I played it safe. Large organisations are issuing speaking contracts to engage me for corporate and public speaking events and inspirational seminars on fear - based thinking, and I am also being invited to speak about my passion for service practices in fashion and footwear retailers. Heading out on my own has also given me the extraordinary perspective of that which comes from experiencing the synergy between being of service in a retail environment and following my dreams. Both require sincerity, a passion to serve others, a soaring spirit and the courage to stand-out from the crowd while taking a few small risks.
Will there continue to be bumps on the road? Absolutely! The road to success is always under construction, and here's the clincher: we need it to be. It’s the only way we expand. Those challenges loathed and avoided by most are actually the best teachers for which we could hope.
Have you heard the story of two stray dogs who walk into a tent at a famous circus? Each dog went into the tent separately and an old man sitting on a park bench observed something quite peculiar. The first dog came out frothing at the mouth, teeth gnashing and ready to devour anything that came his way. The old man looked the other way so as to avoid the dog’s attention for fear of provoking an attack. The second dog came out calm, poised and almost happy. It then proceeded to walk towards and lie beneath a nearby maple tree; it went to sleep without a care in the world.
The old man, perplexed by the situation, went to have a closer look at the seemingly strange tent into which the two dogs had just walked. To his amazement, he found a house of mirrors. The first dog went in and saw his own angry projection, while the happy, calm and docile dog also saw his projection.
Searching for what we really want to achieve in life can sometimes be difficult, particularly at a young age. Many school leavers believe that the rest of their lives hinge on a single decision or grade that is issued in the lead-up to finishing school. The rest of us know that new directions and decisions are a part of life, both in and out of the education system. In an effort to find what makes us truly happy, we must first try to discover what subject gets us excited. If you’re still having trouble finding what makes you truly happy, try to imagine your favourite pastime, do that favourite pastime, then see whether it can be done better and turned into a profession. Or, allow your thoughts to wander and dream about who you want to be, imagine your future the way you want it, and never stop imagining. Imagination is the seed of creation, and it's often overlooked as the birth place of knowledge.
If you're experiencing stagnation in finding your mission, look at what you definitely don’t love. Rule those things out of the equation straight away and don’t visit those subjects again. Once we know what we don’t want, we can more easily find what excites us, and ultimately, what we truly love. This is a crucial first step towards identifying how you see your future and how situations and predicaments will unfold in your favour. Once you find your mission, you should affirm to yourself every day that you are going to be the best (fill in the blank), and dedicate yourself to the ideal behind the physical job, as well as to the actual move itself. If you can live that purpose every day, in time, the manifestation of your idea will show itself into your reality.
You must be sincere in your desire, and it needs to be more of a gut feeling than a logical choice. Sometimes, the brain and mind can trick us into doing what other people believe is best for us. As great as some advice is, never let it overrule your own gut instinct. After all, advice givers have almost nothing to lose, and ultimately, they’re not you. This is not about other people; this is about you, so take some alone-time, close your eyes and listen to your heart. Your brain will certainly follow. Circumstances will unfold if you sincerely believe in yourself, which of course, you do.
Last, when you find your mission, your truest deepest desire — take action immediately. Do not procrastinate.
Are you dreaming?
Have you ever had a dream you were certain was real? Have you ever had a dream that felt so ingrained in your subconscious that you “just knew” it could easily have been reality? The characters may have felt intensely real, the sunlight felt warm against your skin, the water felt cold around your feet, or perhaps, the stars shined as brightly as you’ve ever seen them shine.
Daydreams and night dreams have synergy to the extent that we allow our thoughts free reign to travel where they wish. The only difference is, in reality, when we consciously envision a dream we desire, we have the ability to focus our efforts and thoughts consistently over a sustained period of time to make it reality. Yes; you can make your dream a reality, but you must be committed to follow.
Our primary thought patterns are geared towards either driving security, or creativity and imagination. We constantly do what we feel is most important for us in the immediate now. At different points in our lives, our primary thoughts (the thought that first comes to mind) has the ability to change or reprioritise secondary thoughts. A great many of us view dreams as secondary endeavours, or risky ventures at best. I believe the risk comes from doing the same thing for 30 years and expecting it to somehow change us or our circumstances.
As we travel through life, we see people who are living their dream and they touch us emotionally. Make it your keen interest to take note of the habits of people who have “lived” their dreams, versus those who don't. The differences come down to some fairly simple concepts that we all have the capacity to implement.
To clarify, even though I don’t know you, I sincerely know something about you: You are indeed worthy and very capable of pursuing your purpose. You just need to dedicate yourself, almost selfishly, to achieving your purpose, and not let anything sway you. After all, it was given to you to pursue, so go for it.
However, just because you're going to your favuorite campsite, it doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be mosquitoes. Just keep your focus on the great time you’re going to have whilst on the journey (and bring the repellent).
In the year 1954, Roger Bannister, better known today as Sir Roger Bannister, did something no-one ever thought possible. Not only was it thought impossible, but there were fixed ideas circulating that were trying to discourage the achievement of something new, namely, the naysayers who believed the human body was not capable of the task. Prior to May 6th, 1954, running the sub four - minute mile (1.6km) was a dream many thought to be impossible. That is, until Sir Roger Bannister proved it could be done. What’s incredible to note is to this day, over 30,000 people across the globe have now broken the same barrier, following in the footsteps of Sir Roger Bannister.
Question: What changed from May 6th, 1954 to today?
Answer: Possibility of success.
Despite the industry (new or existing) you want to focus on, uncovering your possibilities is essential, even despite the current set of negative circumstances and the naysayers who say it can't be done.
Just like baseball, it's crucial to take a swing at the ball to have a chance to hit it.
I'm hoping together, we'll learn to swing for it.