The Missing Piece
I was a million miles away in my mind as I walked back to my tiny apartment.
I was numb. Unfeeling. I just wanted to get into my room. Crawl into a ball and be left alone.
I didn't want tomorrow to come.
I was in business school. A great one at that. And I hated every minute of it.
I lost weight, could barely sleep, barely eat.
I dreaded waking up the next day to repeat this all over again.
And it kept going, month after month.
I often look back on that time and wonder what happened to me. How could something that fascinated me so much now become this toxic thing that I hated to touch?
The only answer I keep coming back to was that I had lost myself.
I had become numb to my self.
I had taken on the burden of seriousness. Of some form of immigrant guilt (the narrative that says others sacrificed too much for you to not take this seriously!). Of no longer allowing myself to play.
Of trying really hard to fit in. Sound like others, look like others. Pretending to be like others.
No longer being me.
As children, we were great at building things. Building friendships (even if they were imaginary) came naturally. We practiced our craft or sport for the fun of it.
It was who we were. Acquiring a skill was fun and playful. Showing up like ourselves was easy.
Then somewhere along the way things started to change.
We grew afraid.
Afraid of being who we are.
It took me a while to get all this. But slowly and surely, I started to share who I was. My weaknesses. My vulnerabilities. But also my dreams, my aspirations.
I stopped trying to hide. Blend in.
I wasn't trying to be loud and obnoxious either. I just wanted to be...me.
Something happened then that I could not have imagined.
I felt freer to create. I felt opportunities and relationships come to me with ease. Taking action felt easier.
I got playful again. Others opened up a lot more as well. And the phonies dropped away as well.
It was scary at the time, but it changed my life.
And now we'd like to help a million people do the same.
We've written a lot about technology.
We've even written a lot about tactics, playbooks, and big ideas. Business strategies and frameworks that might help you think differently.
But what really lies at the heart of you building and growing your practice?
It's authenticity.
It sounds like fluff. Woo-woo talk.
But no playbook or piece of technology can help you if you're disconnected from your authentic self.
The self that tells you to do things where your strengths truly lie. Where you aren't afraid to connect with someone more genuinely. More honestly. More sincerely.
I hear from a lot of people struggling to take action from these newsletters. Or from my coaching with them. Or who get too obsessed with the tactics and technology and fail to see results.
They ask me what’s missing?
Lately, I’ve come to just one answer.
Authenticity.
Of course action feels like burning out when you're not being yourself. When you've got your foot in the gas pedal and the accelerator at the same time, you burn out.
The answer to this is authenticity.
The path of authenticity is courage. The courage to see and give voice to your authentic self.
Next week, we’re trying to help thousands of people embrace this path of authenticity.
The Authentic Lawyer Summit is next week.
November 14th and 15th. It's free, without any commercial sponsors or any salesy pitches.
Our true hope with running this event is to give people the courage to be authentic. And speak up from that place.
There's comfort in knowing you're not alone. When you hear other stories, it gives you courage to do the same.
If you haven't signed up, you can do it at here: The Authentic Lawyer Summit.
Joining it live makes all the difference as you’ll meet hundreds of people from around the globe who want to connect, share, and grow in the same way that you want to.
So that we can be proud of being our authentic selves and find a path towards success on our own terms.
In this way, the authentic path has always been the way of the heart.
We hope you’ll join us on this path.