Marie Forleo

An Unexpected Reality Check

 

Just a few hours ago, I was talking with my friend who’s a very talented an accomplished costume designer. (She has over 3,000 of her designs in the Beijing Olympics and recently designed the wardrobe on a Meryl Streep film.) Needless to say, she’s quite successful. She’s also an amazing and beautiful person inside and out.

 

But when she called me, she wasn’t feeling so amazing and successful. Why? Long story short, an “authority figure” in her industry told her, in not so many words, that she was “not enough” yet and needs another 5 years of assistant type work before she can expect to compete in the “big leagues.” From the “authority figure” point of view, there is a set path to success in that industry and my friend had done her career all wrong. (Always fun to hear that kind of feedback from people you hold in high esteem, right?) I had to laugh because defying “conventional wisdom” has made me successful time and time again and allows me to enjoy a magical life that most people think is impossible.

 

You see, there IS magic in this world and success can often happen easier, faster and more directly than the rest of the world thinks. And just because someone is an “authority figure” does not mean they live in a space of magic and transformation.

So I asked my friend, “Has following conventional wisdom created success for you before?”

 

FRIEND: “No.”

 

ME: “Ok…how about your relationship with your husband? Did that happen in a traditional way…following all the rules?”

 

FRIEND: “No…of course not. And it’s the most amazing relationship ever!”

 

ME: “Right. So everything you love about your life has been produced by defying conventional wisdom and living in the space of magic, transformation and unreasonable-ness???”

 

FRIEND: “Yes!”

 

Now here’s the cool thing….

 

Just a few weeks ago, I was told by a mega big PR firm that I did my book launch ALL WRONG and that basically, I should pack it in and give up. I had a few tears and felt devastated for a few minutes, and then….A hot spark of Italian fire lit up inside me and I said “Oh yeah??? I should pack it in? Watch this….”

 

Fast forward 3 weeks…

 

Today I got an awesome email from my editor at McGraw-Hill saying that he is thrilled with book sales so far and we’re #7 on Amazon.com for the dating category. My book that I did “all wrong” keeps showing up on their internal “best seller” lists. My point? Do NOT listen to naysayers or people who have narrow and “reasonable” ideas of success.

 

There are many ways to create results and often, those results can happen much faster, easier and more effortlessly than you think. Reality is how you define it. The reality I now live in is a magical one. It may not be the most popular reality, but it works for me and many people I know and love.

 

If you have a dream burning in your heart, don’t give up!

 

Surround yourself with people who think “Why not?” rather than “that’ll never happen…” You have a dream for a reason. And that reason is to make a difference in the world. Take a look for yourself. Are you living in a “normal” way? Do you need to upgrade your reality?

 

If you want to come play with me, and other like-minded folks in the space of magic and possibilities,
join me for a free teleseminar, “7 Myths of Living in the Moment.”

 

If you still have questions, write to question@marieforleo.com and you will be PERSONALLY contacted.