Today is my birthday…lol

38 years ago, I made my grand entrance onto the stage thanks to my mother and GOD…

Despite my obvious limitations as a baby, there is one thing I did better back then than I’m able to do now.

That thing is to be myself.

I spend a lot of time in this letter talking about the “be yourself” thing. And that’s because trying to live someone else’s dream is probably the most widespread disease ever to infect humanity.

In the professional services business, it is a surefire way to remain invisible and blend in with everyone else.

That’s why so many service providers find it so difficult to articulate their unique value. And that’s also why they find it so difficult to attract clients.

They can’t attract them because they’ve suppressed the very parts of themselves that are most attractive.

It’s not that marketing “know how” is missing, it’s that the essence of the human being is missing.

Without that, all of the marketing know how in the world isn’t going to be very effective.

So who are you?

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably forgotten the answer to that question.

The way to find your answer is to think back to the time when “being yourself” wasn’t a challenge.

Think back to your childhood and remember the way you were then.

For me, I was so focused on reaching certain goals that I was often downright annoying. I knew how to target my focus like a laser.

As an adult, that quality propels you to achieve the things that are important to you.

As a child, that quality gets you a lecture about being patient, and realistic, and putting other people first.

After years of conditioning, those lectures start to affect you. And you learn to suppress who you really are.

I’m reminded of this when I talk to my wife, who’s exactly the same way now as I was back then.

She is relentless. Just to be clear, that’s a compliment for what is a very young and very wise teacher.

Her unique way of being will be a great asset in the life, provided I don’t give in to my adult ways and squelch her natural way of being.

We have all been given great gifts to use in our life.

The challenge isn’t to work to develop those gifts.

The challenge is simply to remember the gifts we’ve always had.