Take Note of What’s Most Natural

There is a counterintuitive truth I have to share with you.

When you don’t know this truth, life becomes so much harder than it needs to be.

Are you ready? Here it is:

We tend to take for granted what comes naturally  to us.

We think our gifts must come naturally to everyone, so we undervalue them. We ignore them. We skip over them.

Then, because we’re raised to believe that success is supposed to be “hard”, we look for challenging, painful paths to success, instead of… just taking the easy route.

I want you to flip the script.

In business, there’s a rule of thumb that says,

“Charge the most for what comes easiest to you.”

Why? Because what comes easiest is within your zone of genius.

Consider nature. A fish SWIMS. A frog LEAPS. A bird SINGS. These natural gifts seem “normal” to each animal but they are gifts nonetheless… because a bird cannot swim. A frog cannot sing. And a fish cannot leap.

What are your gifts? Take note.

Those innate characteristics, qualities, and skills that come most naturally to you are the building blocks of your success.

For example, years ago, I would visualize myself standing on stage, speaking to audiences.

What felt most natural to me was to write a few bullet points and then trust the flow of what comes to me. I like to sense the energy of the audience and adjust in the moment.

But my brain thought that approach seemed “unprofessional.” Don’t the pros have it all figured out - word for word?

So instead, I would write scripts and memorize them - to the point where I could no longer be myself. I felt constricted and nervous to forget my lines.

Once, I even had to ask for a chair to sit down because I was so nervous, my legs felt like Jell-O.

Later, I realized that I wasn’t doing what felt came easily. I wasn’t honoring my natural gifts.

What if success could be easier simply by doing what comes naturally to you?

Don’t make success unnecessarily hard. Do what comes naturally to you and you will be the MOST successful version of yourself.

Taking My Future Self to Heart
with Amy Gordon Brigham 

“Last year, I was a member of SOSI and just wanted to reach out and share a little tale of success.

Although I felt it was silly at first, I decided to take that whole “Future Self” idea to heart and began to ask myself what a fit & lean woman would do to plan her days.

What would she eat? What would she wear? What would she say yes to? When would she wake up and go to sleep?

I asked so many questions and began to use these questions to structure my life and did so for many months. And then one day I woke up and suddenly saw my Future Self was my reality in the mirror.

Since January 2021:

I lost 100 pounds.
I learned to swim and swam a cumulative 108 miles.
I trained to deadlift 100% of my new body weight.
I will forever call 2021 “My Year of 100.”

Thank you to Tonya and the SOSI “Future Self” idea for the part it played in my journey.”

Create Your Own “Power Suit” 

In the 1920’s, Coco Chanel created the first suit for women. 

In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent took it further, tailoring the “smoking jacket” for women in the iconic le smoking. It’s now one of the most recognizable pieces in fashion.

But times have changed. You can stick with the classics or invent your own “success wardrobe.”

When you achieve your next big goal and turn that dream into reality, have you ever imagined what you’ll be wearing when you get there?

This weekend, at SOSI Desert LIVE, you can bet I was wearing my power suit.

Practicing Non-Attachment

There’s a theme in yoga that focuses on immersing yourself in the practice - the action of what you’re doing in the moment - and at the same time, releasing the outcome of that action.

As a result, you find yourself doing something solely for the love of it - enjoying the experience in a way that’s more mindful and appreciative.

You’re not attached to achieving the outcome.
You’re not worrying about the outcome.
You’re simply “one with” your experience.

This is sometimes called “non-attachment” and it’s a beautiful way to approach success.

I used to say, “A successful life is simply a string of successful days.”

What if we all just measured our success in joy? And what if joy were always available to us? (It is.)

Make Success Just Another Notch in Your Belt

I think every woman needs a solid collection of well-made belts. Just a few will do.

You can use them to dress up your jeans, add a waistline to an unstructured dress, or even to “remix” something unexpected, like belting a t-shirt, suit jacket, or overcoat.

Here’s a great option to add to your collection.