"What is wrong with you?" ??

My fiancé loses it and I have way too much fun.

..

“Get your act together RIGHT NOW!”

Flames danced in her eyes.

Her curling lip would frighten Snape.

Things weren’t looking good for me—

mainly because I couldn’t stop laughing.

I had jutted my jaw, crossed my eyes, and ruined every picture.

I just wasn’t good at engagements..

..I couldn’t help it.

“You think I’m kidding?!”

Lava dripped from her ears.

An aura of volcanic ash surrounded her otherwise beautiful figure.

I was about to be burned.

I took a deep breath and promised I would behave.

With a firm hmph, she shook her shoulders and put on a lovely smile.

“Let's try this again.”

At least the photographer and I were enjoying ourselves.

She captured every bit of the madness.

Fine, fine. You want a picture? I’ll give you a picture.

I can be stiff. I can do, “appropriate.”

What I can't do is be anything more or less than myself.

Fourteen years later, I’m proud to say that I’m still going strong.

Have I grown up? Sure.

Have a I learned a lot of important lessons? Uh-huh.

Have I lost my dry, sarcastic, wily, devil-may-care personality? Nope.

"A genius is the one most like himself."

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

Good ol' Thelonius Monk and Dolly Parton for the win.

I don't think you can find more important quotes for strategy than those.

The lesson is simple:

Be your true self. Accept it. Own it.

I'm going through this right now.

For a couple years, I thought I was "just a writer."

It was my job to spend morning, noon, and night in my room typing away, wearing out the space bar.

A few recent conversations with clients showed me that it's not really the writing making the difference in my business.

It's my ability to listen, strategize, plan, and execute.

It's my charisma, humor, and conversation abilities that help my clients win.

The writing is a small part of the whole picture.

It's an outcome, not my value.

Obviously I'm still writing constantly and living in the world beyond the cloud in this picture.

I couldn't support my family or my dreams if I told my clients, "Actually, I don't feel like writing today, I'd rather sit here in my study and read Contemporary Spanish Science Fiction and give you my thoughts EOD."

The mind shift has been extremely important for my psyche and making progress in my life and business.

So now, I'll throw it over to you.

You may living a double, triple, maybe a quadruple life.

You’re one way in the boardroom, one way at home, one way at Church, one way with your friends..

..it’s exhausting!

I'm sure I'm guilty of it at times.

It’s not sustainable, that's for sure.

Here's my challenge for the rest of the week.

Will you be honest with yourself about who you are right now, and the value you bring to the world?

If you can, you will be happier and your energy and zest for life will soar.

Most importantly, you’ll be at peace.

..

This is an article published on my Substack last August. Go here to read other articles and if you feel so inclined, become a subscriber. ?? ?? —M