What Fuels Success Is…
photo – Garry Knight (CC)
NEED.
In sales, it’s often quoted that your success rate is based on need.
But too often need is seen as a weakness. Think of the images that pop up when I say “a needy person” or the vulnerable longing in your body when you say “I need this”.
So, what do we do? We protect ourselves with ‘facts’ and ‘preparing for the worst’ we water down our need. This may protect us from failure, but along with that it protects us from success.
But we weren’t born to water down our dreams with fear and over-planning. We were born to dream. We were born with need and longing. Think of how strongly a baby voices his need, whether for food, comfort, rest, or engagement. When we were young, we were filled with need. We needed that hug. We needed that bike. We needed to play for five more minutes… Then five more after that. It wasn’t a “want”, it was a palpable need.
How often were we told, “You don’t really need that”? Or worse, how often have we said that to another person?
Who am I to tell another person what they do and don’t need? I just want people to embrace NEED. Be proud of NEED.
And slowly over time, we were trained that those feelings weren’t really needs, they were “wants”. And that’s different, that’s softer, that’s expendable.
And slowly over more time, “wants” then became questioned, negotiated, and held hostage by authority until finally it’s easier to not want at all. Our classrooms are filled with silenced dreamers afraid—or resentful—to say a need out loud.
And we are surprised at the rapidly failing success rate to achieve one’s dreams?
This is a plea
To dream,
To care,
To need!
SELF-OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
- What is something that you need to do for your art?
- What is a want that use to be a need?
- How can you shift that want back into a need?
- Where does need live in your body?