My son Tom read Dan Millman's Way of the Peaceful Warrior a couple of years ago and recommended it to me. "It's right up your alley, Dad." He knows where my alley is leading, so I added it to the list and now have checked it off. For those who are seekers of truth, life hacks and sales success mindset shifts, heed this warning: this tale of enlightenment will ruin all the fun and heartache of your search by directing you straight to the Truth!
If you haven't read the book yet, then do. If you have, then you know: There are no ordinary moments. That which we seek lies within, not out there. Not in others' expectations. Not in things that can be measured by quota achievement, profit, revenue, grades, rank, approval rating, cost per click or 360 performance appraisal results. Success has nothing to do with what we do, how much we accomplish or what others think.
Unreasonable happiness is the only true measure of success. Unreasonable success, then, lies in our ability to see through the illusions we've created about how the world works. We've created these illusions with the help of well-meaning parents, teachers, mentors and educators who also believe that they're real. Once we're able to understand our and others' true nature, and once that allows us to appreciate how we're connected, everything -- sales, leadership, parenting, sorrow, joy, success, failure, all of it -- becomes effortless.
Here's the trouble with all of that: The Game doesn't want to be played this way. Many of us who live in a world of incentives based on fear and goal attainment find our attention diverted from what really matters. Companies and people driven by outcomes are never satisfied. Why? Because once attained, the emotional "high" is fleeting. We're soon feeling unfulfilled and in search of whatever's next. Happiness cannot be "gotten." The search for it is a waste of effort. Happiness is a state of being -- not an outcome. It doesn't arrive when you hit your goals (your annual revenue target, that promotion, the shiny new BMW...). It is a way to be.
““A fool is ‘happy’ when his cravings are satisfied. A warrior is happy without reason. That’s what makes happiness the ultimate discipline... Happiness is not something you feel — it is who you are.” ”
I work as a guide for warriors -- seekers of the truth -- serving as a coach for sales drivers striving for a different sort of success. Some measure the value of this work in the positive business outcomes of their stronger sense of vision and purpose. Some see its value simply in the clarity they experience once they let go of the crap they've believed for their entire lives. You don't need me lead you to Truth. Read the book, but realize that a warrior lives in action. It's what we do with our awareness that makes warriors whole and drives results. What will you do with yours?
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If you’d like to dig deeper, apply this kind of work to a specific situation or bring it to a team you’re supporting, let me know. We’re already connected, right?
Pete Colgan works with sales and marketing professionals who want fulfillment so they can manage stress, build thriving business and create successful, happy lives. Consider investing in yourself to truly understand what brings you joy and how you can use that awareness to increase revenue and kick your life and career into high gear. Whether through one-on-one coaching, or a cost-effective group coaching program, what you discover will help the work you do feel effortless! Click here to learn more.