As far as I can tell there are two modes of being that will make us successful in life.
First you can go OUT into the world and attack it with your aggression. This will get you places.
But you can also “open” yourself to the world, be vulnerable and share your experiences.
The Universe rewards both approaches.
There is always fear about being open, especially for guys. But the fear is just that – fear. There are no negative consequences to openness and the world will actually reward you for it.
It’s related to being a person of abundance – sharing what you have and knowing that you will get something back – but not expecting it to come from a particular place or in a particular form.
If you put yourself out into the world with an open heart, it will always come back to meet you half way. This is how you make connections with people, affect people, and create opportunities for yourself. When you influence people in a positive way, opportunities will always come your way.
Staying closed in and trying to keep all your “success” to yourself will actually hinder your real success, because you get what you give. If you give nothing, you get nothing back.
Many of us – myself included – get too caught up in the inwardly-focused aspects of the self improvement process. And for what? So that one day we can sit in a room, alone, finally “the best version of ourselves”?
The end game must be to affect and interact with others in some way. How could it be otherwise?
To shy away from the world, closed off and alone, is unnatural – you are everything anyway. What is natural is getting out there and being a part of whatever the Universe is doing, around you and through you.
So reach down inside yourself, find your heart and grab it – then tear it open and allow whatever comes out to flow into the world.
It’s difficult and frightening. But I promise that as soon as you do, even in a minor way, things in life will start to go your way – in ways you never even thought possible.