#BYOG Day One: You’re Nothing Special

Posted by on August 15, 2011

[Editor's note: This may seem like a crappy way to title the start of this series, but I want to jump in and shake your snow globe right away. Remember, I've seen the posts that are coming up, and our guests have put out some amazing ideas. I have to kick things off in an equally awesometastic way. So here goes...]

While working with a client – a six-figure leader in her company, she said “I’m nothing special.”

“That’s right.” I said. “There’s nothing any more special about you than anyone else. There’s also nothing less special about you than anyone else.”

Believe it. That’s where your strength will come from.

As you jump in and fully immerse yourself in the #BYOG series, a lot of things are going to happen:

1. You’re going to connect with some very smart people. Our guests have made a point of bringing you to the edge, to banish your excuses. But our guests aren’t the only smart folks around here. YOU are one of us, and your comments, input and ideas are just as important as anything my amazing guests have put together. The more you participate, the more likely you are to make Friends For Your Journey. So I invite you to comment, ask questions, and get involved as much as you feel comfortable – and maybe until you get a little uncomfortable, because…

2. You’re going to feel things changing for you. That may be when you read a post and get that awesome “AHA!” moment you’ve been waiting for. It could be painful to open a wound you thought you buried with your Shadow Self a while ago. I can’t tell you what will happen for you, only what I know about change. #BYOG is designed to be a catalyst for change. Because of that…

3. You may not agree with everything. Not every post will connect with you. This is a multi-media experience, because I wanted to “meet you where you are” as Viktor Frankl said. you may not resonate with an image, or an article, but the audio, or the video from a particular day’s post really sinks in deep. All I ask is that you make the commitment to keep coming back. You never know which post will be…

4. Inspiration for your next step. That’s what this whole series is about. We want you to get off your “yeah, but…” and take action. It doesn’t have to be huge. It just has to be right for you. For so long, you’ve said you wanted to have some level of success, so we’re going to define it, and pinpoint the next step you need to take. Then…

5. You’ve got to take action. Only you know what step you can reasonably take next. What’s easy-peasy for me may be incredibly daunting for you. There’s no judgment here, only support, and a bit of accountability as you define and take your next step. We’re training you to Be Your OWN Guru here, so it might be a good idea if you…

6. Take notes and participate. We can’t support your efforts if we don’t know that you’re out there. This community of smarties can’t offer encouragement and guidance if you’re not willing to speak up. And even if you do speak up, it will all be pointless if you don’t keep track of all the ideas you’ll be gleaning. Besides, I know that…

7. Life happens. We are not perfect, and something may come up. While I want you to fully invest yourself in the next 31 days, I’m not a tyrant. I know there are all kinds of “things” going on in your life. This program is about making changes happen, so I don’t want you to make excuses. However, I also understand that NONE of us can predict the future with 100% accuracy, so if you get hit by the proverbial comet, please feel free to take a break and re-join the convo. The blog is going to be here for a while. BUT…

8. Our guests are making themselves available to you. Each day, the posts go live at about Noon ET. Most of our guests have committed to participate in the conversation on the day of their post. If you want the additional support of those folks, you’ll want to be active on the blog that day.

You aren’t any more or less special than anyone else you’ll meet during this series. Including me. We’re all at different stages of our journey. Some of our guests have come a long way, some are still taking the first few steps. All of them are bringing their “A” game, and I’m hoping you are, too. If you really want to kick things up a notch, jump on the #BYOG mailing list, and get the daily action guide delivered to your inbox each afternoon. You’ll also get the handy-dandy e-book that compiles all the BYOG goodness in one place at the conclusion of the series.

The point here isn’t to let anyone ride roughshod over you. BYOG is about helping you bust the excuses, break through the fear barrier, and define your own brand of success – whatever that means to you. Success is a personal definition, and nobody can tell you what that means for you – except you.

So get ready, because tomorrow, Dave Ursillo is kicking things off in a mighty powerful way!

If you’re ready to step up, join us for the “Be Your Own Guru” blog series. Your free registration includes a bonus daily action e-course to help you build momentum and see faster results. You can also join us for tomorrow night’s Twitter Party where you can win cool prizes from some of our guests.

  • Anonymous

    LOVE the kick-off my lovely friend!  :) Woooooo freakin’ hoooooooo!!!  Here we go.  Can’t wait to see what connects for me.  Sending you lots of support on this beautiful venture.  Goooo Lisa!!! 

  • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

    Thank you my lovely. I’m super excited. You’ll recognize a few of the faces from #CIPATL for sure, and the guests have really given their all for this series. Wait until this afternoon when the email goes out with the action plans. :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/foofa5 Debbie Pierce

    I’m really looking forward to this series. I like that it’s a call to action, and to personal accountability.  Having all of the know-how in the world doesn’t matter if we don’t put it into action.  It’s going to be a challenging and fabulous 31 days!!

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Debbie,

      You’re right on the money! We’ve got an action packed month planned – but I don’t want that to scare anybody. I don’t care about the size of your goals, or your definition of success. All I care about is helping you get clear on what that definition is and helping you take the very next step on the journey. If this series can do that, then I’ve done my part.

      And our guests will blow you away. These folks are SO smart, I can hardly stop from tipping my hand too soon. Wonderful artists and fabulous interviews, not to mention the fantastic articles. I’ve been blessed to have such great contributors to this series.

  • http://twitter.com/DooneyPug Lori Finnigan

    Hi Lisa.
    I am looking forward to this series and think you started it off just right. Your post today is perfect:  it kind of sets the ground rules and expectations, provides hope and excitement with a little bit of nervousness too.  I really liked the email, though, with the “Today’s Action Plans”.

    So, to get myself started, I wrote down a few possible intentions for myself, Action Plan #1.  Some seem too big and daunting while others seem small and ridiculous. And they’re not all business related, some are personal.  So I’m not sure if they are even appropriate, and how would they even be helpful to someone else.  

    Anyway, I probably just need to pick one and start there. Success in one will surely provide hope for the others, right?  At least they’re written down and not just banging around in my head.  And clarity- yep I need a bunch of that.

    Thanks, Lisa, for offering this series.

    xoxo

  • http://twitter.com/DooneyPug Lori Finnigan

    Hi Lisa.
    I am looking forward to this series and think you started it off just right. Your post today is perfect:  it kind of sets the ground rules and expectations, provides hope and excitement with a little bit of nervousness too.  I really liked the email, though, with the “Today’s Action Plans”.

    So, to get myself started, I wrote down a few possible intentions for myself, Action Plan #1.  Some seem too big and daunting while others seem small and ridiculous. And they’re not all business related, some are personal.  So I’m not sure if they are even appropriate, and how would they even be helpful to someone else.  

    Anyway, I probably just need to pick one and start there. Success in one will surely provide hope for the others, right?  At least they’re written down and not just banging around in my head.  And clarity- yep I need a bunch of that.

    Thanks, Lisa, for offering this series.

    xoxo

  • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

    You got it, Lori!

    It’s not about size – or pursuit. I think it’s safe to say we all have personal as well as business-type goals. Picking ONE is key. They’re all floating out there… write ‘em down, and pick one – even if it’s the smallest easiest one (sometimes, that’s best anyway), and start flexing the success muscle. As you take one small step, then another, and another, the next thing you know, you’re walking! Then Running! :-)

    You can do it!

  • Jim Franz

    Good afternoon Lisa – and everyone else following along on this journey,

          Thank you for the great beginning.  The idea of bringing different perspectives into the group and having them present different topics should make for a great opportunity for everyone to connect.  Accountability within a group of people who are on similar journey’s will hopefully make everyone feel more comfortable with getting to their true self – putting their goals out there and getting open and honest feedback on making them a reality.  I love the context you have set-up from the beginning about support but with just the right touch of honesty to keep the ball moving forward.  Ultimately it all comes down to action and if we can all help support the actions that everyone is taking – no matter how seemingly large or small, everyone here will be that much further on their journey.
          I am looking forward to being part of the group.  I plan on bringing my A game, and hope that everyone else will do the same…

    All the best, and bring on tomorrow!
    JIM

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Jim,

      So excited to see you posting here. Yes… I’ve seen other series’ like this, and the coolest thing about them is that folks who might not otherwise comment or “be visible” often embolden themselves to come out of hiding – if only for a little while – and make the whole group better because of it.

      I’m really excited to see where this series takes YOU, Jim. I know you’ve got quite a gift to share with the world. :-)

  • Carla K.

    You’re right. I am not special and yet I am no less special than the next individual. I think that is approrpate because we are all starting this journey at the same time, in the same place and yet it may take some of us far, and it may take some of us to our own backyard. As long as we are here, present to the material and willing to work through.
    Funny your post mentioned that some things may touch us in differnt ways. Today I saw a video I had poo poo’ed several years ago. Today, I got goosebumps. It was the video of the young man on the football field carrying a team mate on his back while he was crawling with just the strength of his arms.  That young man had given up the big game before it was even played. The coach had him do this exercise to prove a point. Because that young man was blindfolded and was told to go just a little further each time he was ready to give up, he contimued until he could go no further. He eventually made it to the end zone. And the point was never give up… you never know what you have inside until you dig deep into your inner resources and pull through for yourself (and your team and family.)
    Anyway, I am excited to be here, willing to dig deep into my inner resources and at the end … I’ll be my own guru.

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Carla,

      That clip is from the movie “Facing The Giants” http://amzn.to/rq808I And while I’m not a football fan, I LOVED this movie! It’s a great example of not jsut giving up, but being willing to do your utmost even when it’s hard – and we all know that sometimes we have to carry someone else’s load and get no credit for it, right?

      Sometimes I think if we were all deaf and blind, we’d be oblivious to our perceived limits. :-)
      Welcome aboard, Carla!

  • Wendy

    The sun has not set on monday, day one yet, so here I am…
    I have enrolled to discover the courage to be successful from quintessentilal essence out.
    Thank you Lisa, and everyone involved, for sharing your own experience, strength, visions and hope.
    I am no techy, but I plan to do my best to keep up, learn and grow as my own GURU.

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Wendy, doing your best is all we ask. No judgments, no comparisons here. Just YOU doing what you can to make your vision of success come to light.

      Thanks for chiming in!

  • http://www.liasophia.com/jennmonterrozo Jenn Monterrozo

    I am so looking forward to everything this is going to do for my business as well as myself!  I definitely need to bust those excuses and I am very confident that this program is going to help me do exactly that!

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Jenn,

      Glad to see you here! For as much as you do, I’m surprised that you struggle with excuses. :-) But then again, I suppose I could say the same thing. Dave’s post will definitely give you some powerful barrier-busting ideas.

  • Joanne Lystar

    Looking forward the the next month. I’m hoping I can schedule the time each day to keep on top of all the action. I’m ready to “bust the excuses and break through the fear barrier”. We’re off to a great start.

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Joanne,

      Remember to do what you can. If you’re already registered for the mailing list, you’ll get everything in a handy-dandy pdf format, too, so that you’ll have everything to refer back to in one place.

  • Shele

    It has been a long and hot summer, but we have already had a hint of “fake fall” weather here and you know what that means!  Time for a new start!  Fall has always been my “new year” more than January 1.  And I am looking forward to all the great participants and guests who are sharing their knowledge and that this series will move me into fall (my most favorite time of year) with a sense of purpose and momentum toward success. 

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Shele, I tried to time this so that “back to school” and back to work kind of went hand in hand. At first, it sounded kind of silly to try to do this right now, but this is the time when micro-preneurs that have “taken the summer off” start to think seriously about their own success again. Great to have you here. Let’s help you keep moving forward! :-)

  • Cyn859

    I have no trouble listing all the ways that I’m not special, but find it much more difficult to acknowledge the things that are special about me.  I’ve been in business for about a year and a half now and I’m still just drifting along taking things as they come because of all my “yeah but”‘s.  Thank you for putting this together, it is much needed.  I am making the commitment to participate in this for personal growth as well as business.

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Cyn, That’s the spirit! I intentionally left it kind of vague as to whether “success” means something in the business arena or something in the personal arena (or both). The idea is to find your OWN definition of success and use the next 30 days as your guide to help you.

      And frankly, if you’ve been in business for more than a year, that’s pretty special. LOTS of people quite before the first year is up. You can do it!

    • Bonnie Learned

      Hi Cyn.  I don’t know you, but I can acknowledge some things special in you already!  If you have been in this business for about a year and a half, YOU HAVE COURAGE, PERSISTENCE, HOPE, DETERMINATION, STRENGTH… I can go on & on if you’d like.  I HOPE YOU WILL EVENTUALLY SEE MANY OF THE REASONS YOU ARE SPECIAL!!  I also wish you the Best in your Business and Your Personal Growth!!

      • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

        Yes! That’s the spirit! Thanks for sharing such encouragement, Bonnie!

  • Bonnie Learned

    Hi Lisa.  I love the way you got everyone’s attention!  I also love that you added “there’s also nothing less special about you than anyone else”!!!  I am so excited and looking forward to all the great training!!  THANK YOU SO INCREDIBLY MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS IN WANTING TO HELP OTHERS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS!!!

    • http://www.lisarobbinyoung.com Lisa Robbin Young

      Bonnie, service is where true success begins. Something one of my mentors taught me that took me a LONG time to get through my thick skull. :-)

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