"The future depends on what we do in the present" - Gandhi
Several years ago, I was involved in an interesting conversation with a colleague. I think it would be fair to say I was confronted. I was challenged in a way that I had not been in a very long time.
Al said to me, "Renwick everything I've heard about what it takes to experience great success tells me that you are much better off focusing on just one business or area of service. And here you are, focusing on two areas." And he went on to suggest that it was unlikely that I would develop the level of mastery, or the acute expertise, that would make me extraordinarily successful.
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I thought it was a fair comment. Indeed, much of what I had read to that point in time suggested that was the case. The prevailing idea was that concentrated application of focus, time, and energy allows you to achieve heights otherwise not attained when those ingredients for success are dispersed. So, I said to Al, "I would agree with that notion. However, my definition of success does not align with that. As much as I value and appreciate mastery, I'm not particularly interested in being the very best in a narrowly defined or existing profession."
I proceeded to say, "What I am interested in is giving the fullest expression of who I am and what I care about most." My interests, the areas in which I have a sense of purpose, curiosity and burning desire to seek knowledge, are areas that pertain to helping others improve their condition. I am resolute in my commitment to help others achieve personal, career and financial freedom. I want to create sufficient awareness in the areas that can have the most sizable impact with people who share the desire to be free. That's my interest. And to the extent it is, and to the extent that's truly what I care about most, I will consider it a singular focus even if the world sees them as separate. It will be up to me to create and communicate the logical alignment and synergy between performance improvement and wealth management, and live and work in ways that are congruent. I trust that as I make progress in the direction of my purpose, goals and dreams, I will naturally gravitate to relevant thinking, behaviors and skills. And that will cause me to develop expertise within that coherent group of services and insure my success.
Identity and purpose should align in order to achieve mastery and success.
Achieving mastery occurred to me as a relevant topic because I have found very often, maybe too often, many of us allow the opinions of others to dictate our choice of career or the focus of our enterprise, and in the process we lose ourselves. We pursue recommended and existing paths. We even achieve what many around us consider success but what for us is not. We must acknowledge that an integral element of living successfully and achieving success is doing what aligns with who we are. It's a personal choice to define what success is. And we, as unique individuals, all have varied definitions of success.
So, as you go forth thinking about your academic, career and business choices, the organization with which you choose to align yourself and the clients with whom you choose to work, take time to discover and affirm the fit. Invest yourself into imagining and creatively pursuing the fit that expresses what is uniquely you. And do not allow the opinions of others to unduly bias your choices.
It's only in doing so that you can be assured of living successfully.
I want to help you discover your purpose, become increasingly irresistible and financially invincible. Together, through intentional and achievable steps, we can make your future bright, build your wealth and give you the freedom you deserve in your business and life. Today is your day. Let’s get started.
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