What would have to change for you to be completely fulfilled as a promotional professional, as a loving spouse, a nurturing parent, a true friend, a whole person?
Make this the moment that you finally get out of your own way and create the reality that will serve you best. Quit believing your own negative self-talk. You have endless possibilities. You can choose to enjoy and thrive once you stop placing negative storylines in your way.
In the wonderful book, The Art of Possibility, authors Roz and Benjamin Zander tell the story of two prime ministers sitting in a room having a discussion when a man bursts in completely ballistic, red-faced and sputtering complaints to his boss. The prime minister quietly reminds him to “kindly remember Rule Number 6” and the man immediately calms down, apologizes and leaves. Later a hysterical woman bursts in and gesturing wildly and loudly complaining. Again, the man reminds her to “please remember Rule Number 6” and she too calms down and quietly leaves with an apology. When this happens a third time with the same reminder and same result, the visiting prime minister says, “I’ve never seen anything like this, would you share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?” His friend replies, “Very simple. Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so g--d--- seriously.’” The visitor thinks about it and then asks, “And what are the other rules?” “There aren’t any.”
Take some time to consider this. You may be taking yourself way too seriously. You may be believing stories that you yourself created and then your ego works mightily to defend those stories.
When you can answer the question of what you need to change to be completely fulfilled, you may find what you find the threat or intolerable situation that you can learn to look at differently. Quit taking yourself so seriously and peel away the layers of opinion, entitlement, pride and the inflated storyline that you’ve written and make real connections. When you find the grace to practice the secret of Rule Number 6, you will find that others follow and you will also discover your true fine, limitless self.
If you find yourself railing against the same things in your life that seem to repeat over and over again, maybe it’s because you are holding yourself back by believing in obstructions of your own creation.
Paul Kiewiet MAS+ is an industry speaker, writer, consultant and coach. He serves as the executive director of MiPPA. Kiewiet was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame and the MiPPA Hall of Fame. He served as Chairman of PPAI in 2007. A former distributor, he founded Promotion Concepts, Inc in 1982 and worked with some of America’s most valuable brands including Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, and Whirlpool.