You Can't Pretend To Show Up
Pretending is something we probably all did as kids. For me, it was a way to have fun and escape to my "happy place."
Today, some adults still pretend just like they did when they were kids. I've learned you can pretend to care about reaching your goals and dreams. You can pretend to want to change your financial situation. You can pretend to care about growing your business. But there's one thing you can't pretend, you can't pretend to show up. Yeah, you can't pretend to show up when it comes time to do the work to get you to your goals.
I regularly meet people who will share with me that they've read my book, From Success to Significance. They tell me all about my story and the nuggets they've gained from it. The thing that always amazes me about some of these people is how dedicated they've become to personal development and the possibility of reaching their goals and dreams. They know there are no guarantees, but they still believe that their dreams can happen for them. They create their plan and they get to work on making their goals and dreams a reality.
Then you have the rest of the people. This group of people who read my book and talk about their goals and the potential opportunities are doing just that - talking about it. They never actually put in any work or effort into reaching their goals and dreams. These are the "Pretenders." These are the people who talk about it, but they never show up.
In 2005 I was working for a large company. I went to work everyday; and on the outside, I looked like success. On the inside, all I thought about was venturing out and starting my own business. I was pretending that I wanted to be my own boss.
I was pretending that I wanted to become an entrepreneur.
Anytime I had the conversation with others who were already there I talked a great game; but in reality I had no plan.
I realized that anytime I spoke about quitting my job, I was pretending. I knew I was pretending because anytime I thought about it I would talk myself out of it. I pretended that this was what I really wanted and that I really cared.
I pretended that I wanted to take my life to the next level. I knew I was pretending because I would talk about it, but I would never take action to make it happen.
George Elliot once said, "people can pretend to care, but you can't pretend to show up."
A lot of people pretend that they want a better life. They know they should be working on updating their resume. They know they should be working on their business plan. They know they should be working on writing down their vision and making it plain! But instead, they're pretending. They're thinking about it, but spending their time doing other things that don't benefit their business or their growth. Wasting their time doing things that won't grow them as a person.
Doing things that won't fix their financial situation and will probably just make it worse.
The good thing is, it's never too late to become the person you could've been. Now is a good time to begin moving forward to become who you know you can and should be.
If you're a pretender the first thing you must do is identify that you've been pretending.
Next, I want you to write down what you need to do to reach your goals and dreams. It's time to give up the excuses and start acting out a plan! It's time to stop pretending and start doing! It's time to stop making excuses and start making results!
It's time to stop playing it safe and put it all on the line! Your next stop is enjoying the fruits of your labor! Seeing what happens when you just show up and commit yourself to the process!
When you show up, it changes how you view your business.
It gives you a level of ownership and commitment that will help move you forward.
It's your time to show up!
I wish you nothing but success on your journey for a better life.
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