“There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way”
Christopher Morle
Are you marching to the beat of your own drum, or are you dancing to someone else’s tune? Are you being your true self? Did you know that being true self is one of the foundation blocks of real success?
The truth is that you can’t have great success without being true to yourself. Success on someone else’s terms isn’t really success – and neither is success against your own values. This is one of the primary reasons why money doesn’t always bring happiness. Money can prevent people from being their true selves if it is not handled and used in the right way.
To be successful, you must first decide exactly what ‘success’ means. To you. Wanting what someone else has is not always good – even if you perceive them as successful. Look at your life and decide your own success and your future.
Being someone you are not is one of the most effective ways to lead an unhappy life. The scary thing is that some people never consider their definition of success. Don’t be one of those people who looks back on their life and wonders what it was all for – or what difference they made.
Being comfortable in your own skin means being happy to let people know who you really are, with all your vulnerabilities and failings, and showing yourself to be human: sometimes confident, sometimes uncertain or insecure. Generally speaking, projecting an image that conflicts with your real self is uncomfortable. If you aren’t really feeling whichever qualities you think you ‘need’ to show to the world, the effort of faking them can be a strain.
With no conflict between who you are in reality and who you are in work or society, it’s much more liberating and fulfilling to live life in accordance with your values. Know what your principles and values are, and every decision that you make should be in line with your core personal philosophy.
The good news is that thanks to the internet and global markets these days, you can earn enough in any dimension to live well, so you may as well do it in a way that reflects you and your personality. Don’t fight the tide. If you can earn enough to live well by being yourself – without compromise – why on earth would you do it any other way?
You can design a business model around yourself, rather redesigning yourself around your business model. There should be no shortcuts taken with this – it’s vital to your own success. Build your business in a way that leverages your strengths and minimises your weaknesses. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Choose whatever suits you and your purpose.
Are you and your business model a good, authentic ‘fit’?
Businesses are like marriage partners – find one that suits you, because not every business or business model is right for every person. I believe that there is a business model out there to suit the personality and skills of every single entrepreneur – and some you might want to create yourself, to suit your own inclinations and preferences. Don’t compromise. With self-imposed restriction, there is an opportunity innovation. It is a lazy and fruitless option to build a business in someone else’s image – like wearing an ill-fitting suit, you will never feel comfortable in it, or passionate about it. True success is hard to achieve without impressing your own identity on what you do.
Running with the pack, being like all the others and doing what other people expect of you may not satisfy you. Maybe you need to head off in another direction, or do things differently. Find your own north star to navigate by, and to summon up the will and the way to attract your goal and drive you towards it.
Ask yourself these questions:
● Would I be doing this work, if I didn’t need the money?
● Does my life make sense?
● Is this who I am?
● Am I being the best version of myself?
● Am I heading in the right direction?
If you’re not satisfied with your answers, make changes. Align with your true self, and head off in your own direction, before it’s too late. Everything you’ve done forms your experience, and up ahead is your opportunity to make your mark on the world.
My core purpose is to encourage you to live an incredible, meaningful life on your own terms. First, you need to decide what that means to you. Then, decide to live it. Feel good about taking the less travelled road if that’s the one you need, because being yourself is the most natural, fun and exciting experience for you, on your road to success.
March to the beat of your own drum. You cannot fail at being you.
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If the above topic, or indeed any of my blogs are of interest to you, then contact me and let’s talk! Drop me an email at getintouch@marcwinn.com.
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I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the structure of
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But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2
pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
I’ve been heading in ‘my’ direction for some time and have never felt better, but I’ve been sidetracked by an ‘offer’ (and a very good one). I’d have to dance to someone else’s tune though. After reading your blog and answering no to your five questions, I’m even more committed to my purpose and a no conflict approach to life. Thanks for sharing Marc.
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My awesome manager told me, ” I march to the beat of my own drum” the other day as I was celebrating a work success among-st our group. I’ve heard this before but not as it applied to me. I’m utterly inspired by this guy, and decided to search for the meaning. Besides “not listening to authority”, this pretty much describes me! Love the compliment! I’m inspired! And wow, he knows me more than my boyfriend I’ve been dating for 4 years!