The Importance of Knowing Your Story
If I Speak to One...I Speak to Many
I am struggling to write this one without outing anyone.
Therapy helps...a lot. I understand why I resisted it for so long and I also see how much impact it's had on my well-being.
I didn't have an official start date for when I decided to focus on my personal development but it's been years in the making. One of the breakthroughs of that process is this idea that I am the author of my life, not a reader.
We always have a choice. It's why I ask clients, and the students, "Who Do You Want to Be?"
This is different from "What Do You Want to Do?" where the emphasis is on the individual person and their chosen identity.
Life is a story and we have to pick a side - are we the author or are we the reader?
I was listening to a conversation with some adults who speak so dismissive of the young adults we work with. I'll admit that my own frustrations sometimes comes out as complaining and I'll correct myself.
Anyone under 25 does not have a fully formed brain.
Anyone who's under 25 and experienced trauma may struggle to develop healthy habits.
Anyone who is still learning about how to be a person is going to make mistakes until they don't.
This requires grace without conditions.
How often do you step outside of your own agenda to accommodate where someone else is at?
So much of who we are is defined, intentionally or not, by the lived experiences we endure. Recognizing this helps with marketing. It helps with branding. It shapes how we cultivate relationships with the people who need our magic the most.
Maybe this is why I gave up on the hustle last year. I can hold on to the "breakdown" as a reason for why I needed a shift but that was the catalyst, not the cause.
As I watch people now continue with the same messaging they've had for years, I wonder to myself "where the fuck is your growth?!"
This is not my first rodeo and I've seen many of y'all conform to what you think is expected of you to succeed. I've watched you pivot away from your purpose to keep up with algorithms.
I've peeped y'all switch up your brand voice and lean into the toxic bullshit of blaming people for their struggles while positioning yourself as the solution. FYI, it's giving emotional abuse vibes.
Again, this comes back to the question..."Who Do You Want to Be?"
Do you want to be the one who weaponizes sales psychology?
I mean, hey it works right?!
When you know your story, you disarm those who are set on making you the villain of their story. You can choose to be who you think is expected of you or you can choose to be whoever you want to be.
Strategy is about YOUR end game.
The sooner you accept that your story, your voice, and your brand have value outside of $$$, the better we will all be.