In this month’s Rock.Paper.Scissors’ newsletter I review Danielle LaPorte’s hot new book. Stay tuned for the next two blog posts where I’ll share some resources related to the book’s theme of success.
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Danielle LaPorte, author of Fire Starter Sessions – a soulful practical guide to creating success on your own terms, is a change cheerleader[1]. She’s not about standing still or the status quo. She is sassy with an uncommon wisdom & depth. She’s taken a lifetime of incredibly diverse experiences (D.C. Think Tank leader, & personal audience with the Dali Lama) & distilled them with a razor’s edge & a poet’s flare.
Like the marrow that runs through all our bones, she cuts to the core & gets to the essence of what it means to be successful. What it means for you to be successful.
How good can you stand it? That’s a question a good friend asked me a few years ago and it’s rattled around in my brain ever since. The pradical (practical + radical) advice in Fire Starter Sessions gives you the tools to stand it something wonderful.
Like the turn of a kaleidoscope, Danielle’s words move the big picture of our lives and give us a whole new view. Ready? Here’s what she has to say about Mojo, Ease, Desire, Failure, How You Show Up in the World, Time, Money & more.
Mojo
Danielle says we need to tend to our desires with the same vigilance that we would give to the fire that cooks our food, warms our bones in the night & keeps the wolves away. She says our most valuable currency is what comes to us naturally and, dammit, we should cash in. What makes you feel useful, alive & strong?
Ease
Go for the metrics of ease. But be honest & make sure it’s quality easy versus cheap easy. Enthusiasm comes from the Greek word entheos, which means having the god within. Ease can be liberating. Suffering is optional. Have you been denying yourself ease?
Desire
Knowing how you want to feel is the most potent form of clarity that you can have. Generating those feelings is the most creative thing you can do with your life. When you’re clear on how you want to feel, your decision making gets to the heart of the matter. When you feel good you act smarter. So how about it, how do you want to feel?
Burning Questions
Danielle’s focus on concisely & precisely describing what we do is telling. Me, I love telling people I’m a tenacious transformer of learning. What do you say when someone asks what do you do? How do you feel when you say it?
No, thank-you, yes, please
The moment you say yes to acting on your desire is when things really start. If something feels right I’ll drive all night in a push-up bra to get there. And here’s the kicker – when something doesn’t feel right that’s reason enough. For those not in tune with their intuition, this may be hard to swallow. What do you need to listen up, listen hard? You know.
Make Stuff That Feels Good to Make
When we’re giving our best we’re artistic. Muses simply must be adored. They like to be respected. If you meet them halfway they’ll give you the moon. What do you love knowing about?
How you show up in the world
Danielle’s all about big real reframes; hauling your ass out of bed for a run becomes ‘connecting with the power of your body and tapping into your creative spirit.’ Cutting peoples hair in a salon becomes ‘a place where people heal and have bother inner and outer beauty witnessed.’ Waiting on tables transforms into ‘learning and teaching loving-kindness.’
She’s clear that we all have a brand. But before you cut loose & run in fear from that overused word, brands are soul packaging. Your brand is your driving force, your sense of purpose. It’s not about contributing an image that you hope will sell or be accepted. That’s what the managers of boy bands do. Your character, your brand, informs your image, not the other way around.
Afraid of turning someone off? Good! You will always be too much of something for someone; too big, too loud, too soft, too edgy. If you round out your edges you loose your edge. Your brand is your character in action. Danielle implores us to be opportunity magnets. How can you switch on yours?
Time
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen all at once (Albert Eisenstein). Danielle hits the mark with her take on time management systems, which she says can suppress our own innate wisdom & cravings for vitality, especially when your to-do lists become more important than your fatigue. What’s a person to do? Assess tasks for their nutritional value. Think about your day so far. Which tasks have you done today that sustain you? Which ones exhaust you?
Money
I tend to think of money in the same way I regard time. It’s a form of energy. It comes & goes according to my intentions. The clearer my intentions, the more the money flows. Let the money follow the meaning. Part of determining your value is how determined you are to give value. Because conscious wealth has more value, what is your purpose for money?
Be the Giver
I am earnestly, unreservedly issuing this plea. Just be the Giver. Please. Be the generous one, the mentor, the adviser, the motivator, the donor, the donator, the one who cards. Find a way to make what you do matter for more people, or matter more for one person. Give someone a break. Give someone hope. Make a promise. Keep it. Over deliver. Open the door of opportunity; open your wallet. Open your heart, take out the love and hand it to someone.
‘nuf said. Start Now. I’ll figure it out is the mantra of choice. I just don’t know what to do is a buzz kill. Keep it pointed to where you want it to go. Do a little more of what you really want to be doing every day and a little less of what you don’t want to do until eventually your reality is brimming with the real ideal.
Lead your Life. Balance doesn’t exist but proportion & harmony do. When passion is a priority – passion for family, for vocation, for meaning – your energy intensifies.
So. Start Now. Success on your terms.
[1] In the spirit of true transparency, know that Danielle is a friend of mine & I was given an advance copy of the book to review.
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