Since launching my business, I have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people and businesses out there. It’s easy for time to fly by as you check out what’s available and what they have to offer. It is also very easy to get off our own path because “everyone else” seems to be doing something different, which is apparently much more successful than what we are doing.

There are various approaches ranging from blatant manipulation and emotional blackmail to ethical and friendly ones. It doesn’t really matter what the focus is, each with its own. The important thing is that we do not allow the multitude of options and different opinions to divert us from our own path, which is ultimately the right one for us.

We need to look at what is appropriate for our own life / business. Just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it applies to us. We must also remember that some of these seemingly amazing offerings are as real and real as a Photoshopped model.

Just because something doesn’t work for us instantly doesn’t mean that, given time and consistency, it won’t work over time. I think it is important to keep your eyes and ears open to anticipate what happens in the market, but it is a good idea not to cut and change strategy in the hope of a faster return.

I don’t know about you, but I always listen to my intuition and how my body reacts to the material that is presented to me. For example, approaches to business that leave me cold and that go in the opposite direction are those that use emotional blackmail such as ‘Do you hate me?’ Emails that often question why you didn’t take their course / bought their book, and are aimed at making you feel guilty for neglecting the person who sent it, who ‘obviously’ has your best interests at heart. I’ve received some of these emails from a variety of marketers, so I suppose they must work for some people, but they leave me heading for the hills.

The other approach that immediately crosses people off my list of potential buyers is the one where the immediate assumption is that I’m broke, I need to get fixed, and they are the answer to my prayers. I’m not suggesting for a minute that I know everything, because obviously I don’t, but the assumption that they know me without even having a conversation, and that I need help, is insulting to say the least. We never know why someone contacts our company; yes, maybe it is for himself, but it can also be because he is thinking of someone else and looking on their behalf, or we could be in the position of helper, not ‘helper’! It can be corporate suicide to assume that we are in the position of power or superiority.

I feel like several of these questionable practices stem from fear and desperation to sell your products or services by any means possible. I think that the multitude of apparent success stories that are invading the Internet also have a lot to answer for. You just have to look at the before and after photos related to some magic diet pill or method. Apparently, someone has lost 1.5 kilos in 2 weeks with the attached images; However, the before photo shows at least 3 kilos heavier than the after photo, and there is no guarantee that it is actually the same person. By the time someone has tried this method, and then discovered that even if they lost the weight, got it all back quickly, they could have stuck to a sensible eating plan and actually be in better shape. The story of the hare and the tortoise comes to mind!

Another thing that I think is important is not to get too obsessed with numbers. They can be useful in some circumstances, as long as we don’t start obsessing over why someone didn’t like us on Facebook or unfollowed us on Twitter. They could have made a conscious decision to disconnect because they didn’t resonate with what we posted, or we didn’t follow them, but it could also have been because they closed their accounts. We are never going to please everyone, so if we are in a business where they will ‘see’ us, then we have to prepare for that eventuality. We don’t resonate with everyone, so we shouldn’t get upset when everyone doesn’t resonate with us.

We live in such an instantaneous society that many people expect quick results, and something worthwhile rarely happens like this. I follow some people whose advice and guidance I find extremely valuable, but none of these people profess to have succeeded overnight. They have gradually built their businesses (usually more than one) over several years; what I am hearing now is the accumulated knowledge of many years of experience. How valuable would their advice have been to me if they had literally made it big in a month or two? What would they have learned in that short space of time? What is also evident is that while they also had people they listened to and sought advice from, they eventually forged their own path. They didn’t try to duplicate anyone else.

This planet is alive with unique human beings, why would any of us want to be like someone else? We have our own talents and opinions, based on our individual lives and experiences. We will be much more fulfilled and authentic individuals if we follow our own paths, and in doing so we will have more to offer to the people who come after us in terms of learning and experience, which could help them get on their own unique path. decisions.

Have you forged your own path by following your own guidance? I would love to hear your story.