Take the Power Back

When people believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Your worth is not measured by the number of Facebook fans or blog followers you have, your weekly sales numbers or by the weight of your wallet. Sure, all those other ancillary factors are great confidence boosters but if you really know who you are then you don't need them. How many of your fans or followers are buying? How many notice when you don't write for awhile? Collecting minions is not where it's at. Building relationships is. So how do you do that?

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light. ~Mary Dunbar

Know yourself, determine what you're worth, sing it from the rooftops and watch your niche come to you. Being 'inspired' by or otherwise borrowing from a seemingly successful person does far more harm than good.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

There's only one person who can determine your value and that's you. Because the value is in the you. Not in the them. It works for them because that's them, not you. If you continue to try to live up to the ideals set forth by another, you will fail again and again and eventually quit when you feel that you can't keep up. It isn't about keeping up. It never was. It's about blazing your own path. Leading, not following. Are you going to trip along the way? Probably. Will people give you a hard time or doubt you? Good chance. When you're comfortable with yourself you'll go from absorbing their blows to being completely oblivious to them. Trust me, it'll happen and when it does, you'll know you've arrived.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. -Thich Nhat Hanh

As a brand story teller I can help you define your story and condense it into a readable and authentic manifesto, but to get there you've got to do the leg work. Get to know yourself. Because if you don't know yourself you can never truly know what you've got to offer to the world. If you don't know then they sure don't know. Staying in the corner does no one any good. Self esteem sells. You don't have to go all Charlie Sheen on us, though. Confidence does not equal cocky. So many of us are afraid of coming off as show-offy or as braggarts. When you're proud of who you are, it shows. People want to be a part of that. Getting sales is great. Building relationships is better. Gather true fans and form lasting relationships and success on every level belongs to you.

Yours is the energy that makes your world. There are no limitations to the self except those you believe in. -Jane Roberts

{Feel free to swipe this for your Facebook cover photo-a link back is not necessary but appreciated}