Authenticity in Your Journey
I just looked back on my last post and can't believe that it has been almost a year since I felt inspired enough to write something on my blog. Instead of beating myself up about it, I realize that it is indicative of who I am and what I am all about.
Yes, there were many times when I had an idea that I wanted to write about, but didn't feel a strong reason to do so. This past year has allowed me to experience so much growth on a personal and professional level. If I had written something, I think I felt that it would have been forced. After all, how could I comfortably sit here giving advice about travelling an authentic journey when I wasn't feeling that I was doing the same.
Being Thankful or Showing Off?
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. As a foodie, I love the fact that it has no pretense. It's all about food and fun. Then, comes the shopping and December holiday madness. 
Thanksgiving is also about giving thanks (duh!). So, I thought it would be good to discuss the fine line between being thankful for what you have versus being boastful. This season is an ideal time to show thanks for what you have (and even what you don't have). It's basically about being happy with where you are in your life and understanding that the present serves a purpose.
At what point does being thankful turn into being boastful? When do people feel like you're just showing off? Do you feel uncomfortable talking about your success because you fear that it will be taken away? Do you worry that others will be jealous and not want to associate with you?
I find myself in an interesting position with this topic. As you know, I believe that success is about more than just money. So when I speak of being successful, I'm not saying that I'm rolling in the dough. At the same time as an author focused on success, are others expecting me to be "winning" in all aspects of my life and business 100% of the time?
I would love to hear how other authors, coaches, self-improvement gurus, etc. handle this same topic. Also for the entrepreneurs and professionals who are on their own success journey, how do you handle walking this fine line?
What I Learned about Life from P. Diddy
Tonight I watched Sean "P. Diddy" Combs on Nightline. I was a big fan of his music in the 90's. It's always fun to see celebrities grow older and hear what they think about themselves and their place in the world. I was reading some tweets about him after the interview and came across words like rude, cheesy, self-important, no shame, and full-of-it. I can see how he comes across that way. The funny thing is that these opinions don't seem to bother him.
Even through all of that, I found 3 takeaways after listening to Martin Bashir's interview with him.
Your Spirit is different as you grow older.
Martin asked P. Diddy (paraphrasing), How do you enter your 40's as a hardcore gansta rapper?. He responded by saying that you don't do the same things because your Spirit is different. You can't do the same things when you are 40 that you did when you were 20. He gave an example from his music by saying that he now sings more about love. I agree with that with one caveat. It's not that you can't do the same things, it's just that sometimes it doesn't make sense to do the same things. You mature and your life changes, so you decide to let your Spirit drive you in a different way.
Even the most successful people feel like failures sometimes.
When asked about his 6 kids, P. Diddy admitted that he hasn't been the most successful at being a father. We often hold celebrities up to higher standards and expect them to be perfect at everything. They are obviously human too and run into some of the same challenges as non-celebrities. It was refreshing to hear that P. Diddy didn't think he was a perfect father. He has such a confident demeanor as an entrepreneur that it's easy to forget that he might have a vulnerable side when it comes to his personal life. I think we all have to be honest with ourselves and realistic about our ability to be a success in all areas of our lives.
Offer your brand to the world.
Martin Bashir closed the interview by saying that P. Diddy would now be going back to what he does best by offering his brand to the world. This isn't limited to celebrities. It's just that branding is more prominent when it comes to famous people and businesses. We all have a brand, a specific demeanor that is unique to us. Another name for it is our Personality. We shouldn't hide who we are to fit into someone else's mold. For example, P. Diddy doesn't worry about people thinking he's a megalomaniac. You don't have to go to that extreme, but just stay true to yourself.
What did you think of the interview? Any other redeeming takeaways?
Happy New Year
Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season was great. Mine was relaxing and productive. I spent time with family. It was a blast seeing our 14-month old start to understand Christmas, enjoy her presents, and play with wrapping paper!
I had several power sessions putting the finishing touches on my book manuscript. Only a little bit more to go! I'm also finishing up interviews with cover and book interior designers this week. In the process, I've connected with others in the book industry who have complimented my work thus far. That's always encouraging.
Now with resolution season upon us, I thought we could all use a spiritually focused mantra that ties into my forthcoming book, of course. How about "Let Your Spirit Take a Spin in 2010!".
If you haven't already, 2010 is a perfect time to start letting your Spirit drive in your professional life. Listen to the signs you're receiving from the Universe or your Higher Power. You'll begin to get a better idea of your mission and resulting goals.
Here's to much success in the New Year!
Get the Book!
The book is now available!
Get it at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or the Spirit Driving Institute Web Site.
About the Author
~ Leila Johnson, Founder of Spirit Driving Institute and Creator of the Drive. Align. Shift. Program
~ author of Driving to Success: Let Your Spirit Take the Wheel
~ co-owner of Data-Scribe, digital branding specialists for professional service firms
~ wife, mom, foodie
Archives
- May 2013
- May 2012
- March 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
Categories
- Align Your Goals
- Author
- Books
- Celebrities and Pop Culture
- Childhood
- Drive with Purpose
- Family Time
- Honorary Spirit Drivers
- Job and Career Fulfillment
- Life Balance
- Making Your Life Easy
- Mission
- Moving On
- Perseverence
- Personality
- Religion
- Shift Your Perspective
- Spirit
Sites I Like
- BeliefNet
- Entrepreneurs-Journey.com
- LadyPreneur International
- Selfgrowth.com
- SoulPancake
- The Road to Graduation
- Work+Life Fit
Share This
Spirit Driving Podcast
Follow me on Twitter
- No public Twitter messages.