Why most of the business and marketing strategies out there don’t work for a lot of us.
I have been self-employed for seven years. But self-employed as what? I cannot answer that question clearly. There have been IT projects, website management, translation, editing and my own writing, organizing and facilitating seminars and wilderness experiences, coaching and consulting, and many other tasks that have brought in money here and there.
But for running a business, if I want to do effective marketing, I need a clear message. So if I’m to believe most of the marketing people out there, that means focusing on one thing (or two at most) that I’m known for. Otherwise, I’ll be constantly struggling and won’t be able to build a good life (and 5-6-figure revenues) for myself—even if that’s not really my goal…
And the goal we pursue, or better yet, the direction we really want to take with our work, is extremely relevant for so many aspects. If we primarily want to make money because we believe that this will bring us recognition or happiness, for example, then that is a completely different direction than if we want to change the world (a little bit) with our work. Nevertheless, it is still the same direction in a way, because it is a pursuit of something external “in order to feel/have/be.”
But there is also another direction, where we don’t want to save “the world” per se, but rather surrender ourselves fully to our intuition and a higher/sacred source. It would be nice if it had a positive influence on others in some way, but the main focus is not on the outside.
Even though many people define purposeful work as doing something “good for the world,” for me, purposeful work is much more about letting go of external striving and instead creating an experience of contentment, devotion, and radical honesty within myself with every single step. This means following my intuition, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense rationally at the moment, or if other things seem more urgent at that moment.
So when our path leads us in this direction, when we surrender fully to our intuition, our work automatically no longer fits into any pattern. Then it becomes difficult to communicate a clear path to the outside world. Whether it’s for marketing purposes or simply to explain to our friends or family what we actually do. Difficult, but not impossible. But more on that another time. Let’s get back to the topic at hand.
Letting go of the goal
I have been on the path of total surrender for quite some time now. And yet, I still find myself now and then clinging to a goal, a solution, an answer. Because it can happen that our intuition leads us in one direction, but then, over time, we start to turn it into a goal and a solution. We cling to this goal because our intuition led us in this direction. But we don’t realize that we have fallen into the control trap.
Or we may convince ourselves that we need a goal after all, because “following our intuition” didn’t “work” last time, because it caused us pain or suffering. So we seek control and an answer again. And in doing so, we trap ourselves in our prison once more.
Because sometimes it takes a lot of discipline and strength (which is actually devotion) not to get carried away by the pull of the masses, who are constantly trying to hold on to goals and answers. These goals seem to provide support, but are often just driftwood floating alongside us. Or they are branches that reach into the water, but the current is far too strong for us to grab hold of them and pull ourselves ashore.
The “right” moment
Many years ago, I jumped off a bridge into a river as a kind of test of courage. Everything was safe and supervised by a guide. I even had a life jacket. Basically, nothing much could happen to me. But the jump itself and falling down fast caused me so much panic that as soon as I hit the water, I couldn’t think straight anymore. My head kept going under water and the current was so strong that it carried me down the river in no time.
In my panic, I paddled like crazy to somehow get to the edge of the river where the others in the group were. But the current was too strong. And at some point, my muscles started to weaken and give up, which triggered a whole new fear…
But then the current steadily weakened and it would have been easy to just stand up and go ashore. At that point, however, I was already so weak that I could only manage to drag myself ashore with help.
If I had known that my only task was to keep a clear head and observe until the right moment to act had come, I could have experienced the entire event without expending much energy, without additional help, and without panic, but probably with enthusiasm.
Sources of strength
However, we cannot simply let go of the goal and the search for an answer. In the story above, I would have needed someone to explain to me beforehand what was going to happen and how I could best behave in the situation in order to overcome the rapids. Having already had a similar experience myself would certainly have led to more inner peace. At least it helped to know that I was not alone. A friend had jumped right before me and others were also waiting to receive me.
All of these are sources of strength that can help us maintain clarity in the moment, stay centered instead of getting carried away by fear and panic, and be in the right place at the right time to take action.
When we follow meaningful work and a meaningful life with dedication, such sources of strength are essential. These can be books, teachers, mentors, therapists, the natural world, stories, and much more.
But one of the most important sources of strength is other people who are following a similar path. The strength that arises from such often magical or sacred connections allows us to be secure enough within ourselves that we no longer need to cling to external goals or answers. Because when we follow such a path in complete devotion to our intuition, there are no patterns. Then there is basically no path at all. Then there is only one step and then the next. The path only emerges when we look back and see where we have come from.
If you are on such a path, if you are currently searching for such a source of strength in the form of a person, and if this text has resonated with you, then please feel free to contact me for a free introductory call.
