Who Are You Beyond Your Leadership Suit?

In 2008 I lost my job as an expat in an international shipping company. It was a wake-up call bringing to my awareness that I was not living a life true to myself.

I had built a (too) strong unhealthy corporate Suit because inside I was not fulfilled. The thought that success will make me happy is what I believed to be true.

Until I lost it all. My success, status, flights, and apartment paid for by the company, were gone.

And I remember sitting at the beach in Hong Kong wondering what to do with my life. To make matters worse the 2008 global financial crisis started, and I was without a job.

I had no idea who I was beyond my Suit. I had made it a part of my identity. It gave me strength, power and status.

I knew that building the same Suit would not make me happy. But then what do you do next?

It′s 2024 now, and we are on the brink of a global recession. The uncertainty in the world is much higher than in 2008. Are we going to enter an era of recession and depression? Possibly.

A reset is needed because the current system is no longer working. We have built an unhealthy Suit in society that is not sustainable.

So when it all comes crumbling down, will you lose your job? What if? COVID was a first wake-up call and the coming recession will be worse.

When it happens, the question is who are you beyond your leadership Suit? Who are you on the inside? Because that will be the part that remains with you.

SOUL-SEARCHING

It is often a soul-searching journey that takes a long time. It is a journey full of uncertainty because the mind cannot understand a soul-searching journey. So awareness is needed that building a strong internal foundation is key to living a fulfilling life.

Your Suit can always change, but your inner Monk will ALWAYS be with you. Yet some of us spend little time nurturing and developing it.

When I reference Monk I am not relating to Buddhism, I use it as a metaphor to relate to your inner self.

Your inner self is very complex and abstract. But to make it easy for leaders to understand and incorporate it into their lives I focus on 3 core areas:

? Your values

? Your purpose

? Your Intuition

These 3 elements are your internal compass that can help you navigate through life′s challenges. These are elements that give you inner confidence and they are character-building tools.

When you develop those 3 areas strongly in life, you can navigate uncertainty and change more easily.

One of the things I realized when I lost my corporate Suit was that ′freedom′ was one of my values. Therefore I would never fit in. I tried to fit in and forced myself, but I was not aligned with myself. That′s where my frustration in life came from. I was not aligned with my values and my life path.

My purpose in life was always linked to ′′helping people′′ but I was in a sales role, selling shipments, including customs clearance, and truck loading. It was very Suit for me, not much Monk.

Throughout the years I realized you can have a healthy Suit and make good money. When you align purpose with your inner Monk, there is no longer a gap inside yourself and you can still be successful in your Suit. It′s like you change the operation system on how you live life. You put your Monk first and your Suit second.

Most people put their Suit first and their Monk second, and then wonder why they are not fulfilled!

BRIDGING YOUR GAP

So bridging that gap is essential.

It′s the basis for my teaching for nearly 20 years.

If you ever lose the Suit, keep in mind that all the answers that you are looking for are inside you, inside your Monk. I recommend starting with the development of your inner self today! Because if you are ONLY on the Suit journey, you know deep down it′s not sustainable.

So start developing your inner Monk, starting with knowing your values, changing your career to live according to your purpose and develop your intuition for better quality decision-making.

If you need support on this journey, feel free to DM me.

Happy living.

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Raf Adams – The Suited Monk

#success #awareness #lifejourney