Soul Proprietor - Bragging (Not) Rights

Glittery, pretty things are irresistible. Like ravens, our eyes are drawn to them.

Take the internet for example. There’s a whole lotta shiny promises and claims, begging for our attention:

Six figures!

Seven figures!

Fifty-thousand dollar launches!

Signature programs!

Making money without working!

Passive income!

Read that flashy stuff and suddenly you feel like an underachiever – or worse.

But all that glitters is not gold. Scratch the surface and you might be surprised to find a different story underneath.

While there are some who really do make a handsome living working only a few hours, the truth is often a far different story: some of these people are not being completely honest about their income or their claims.

For example, they may be talking about their gross income rather than the actual profit margins. Six figures sounds impressive but when you are paying out for a team of five, suddenly that money disappears pretty fast. A six-figure income with a “team” to pay can suddenly become twenty grand just like that.

Or they may look like they are living the luxe life – but be knee deep in debt. (Putting on airs is expensive.)

In some cases, their success is a complete illusion – they may have a successful partner totally supporting them while they “dabble”. (My husband learned this about a musician he admired. He often wondered how this dude was so successful in a niche music genre. Answer: marry a wealthy woman who pays for all your state-of-the-art-equipment.).

Don’t believe the hype.

Don’t get excited over someone else’s success, real or not.

The truth is, many people who are doing well might be quieter about it. Or they may be working long hours, toiling away every day with barely a vacation to speak of. Which is not very glam, right?

My own beginnings were humble and I had to work hard to get where I am. There were no shortcuts, no “internet secrets” nor any rich partner funding my way. I had to work my ass off – and learn the hard way on many occasions. I’ve had lean years and I’ve had cash-happy years (no one ever talks about the possibility that there may be nail-biting loss years but they happen…even to profitable businesses).

There are no four hour work weeks – or days for that matter. I work almost every day. Often ten hours a day. I also operate on the lean – there is no “team Theresa” handling my emails (you get me, every time). There’s not even a housekeeper. Yes, I clean my own toilets.

And a flashy life? Nope. I’m fiscally conservative. I budget like a miser and am more concerned with saving for my future and paying off my constantly-getting-renovated old house (which will be paid off over ten years early!) than with gold chains and Manolo pumps. If you come here, there is no palace (but two cats who are king).

Why am I writing this? Because entrepreneurship is often a very un-glamorous life with hard work and major sacrifice. Success doesn’t always look like those gorgeous air-brushed lives that you see in the media. It’s sweaty work, yo.

So don’t beat yourself up if you’re not making six figures or sitting around on a beach with a daiquiri six months out of the year.

Don’t feel like a loser if your goals are modest (not everyone needs – or wants a “six figure income”).

Do not compare yourself nor get roped into buying one more expensive program that you don’t need because you assume they are making big bucks or know some “secret”.

Don’t be quick to get impressed over someone else’s success – or their bragging about it.

Ever.

And the next time you assume someone is living some fab life rolling around on a pile of cash and laughing maniacally, look underneath the hood. You may find that they are no further ahead than you. Empresses sometimes don’t wear clothes either.

What inspired this post was two things: seeing another person claiming to teach you how to have a six figure tarot business and it was obvious they were full of it (I’m sorry but a janky website and only 89 followers on Twitter? Come on now!).

And this brilliant post from Melissa Cassera on the not-so-sparkly topic of profit margins: It’s not how much you’re earning. It’s how much you’re keeping.

Read that post and you’ll feel a whole lot wiser the next time you start getting sucked in by someone else’s bluster and bling.

If you still find that you’re getting a case of the comparison-itis, look at where you are and how far you’ve come. Give yourself credit for how hard you’ve worked. Love where you are – now.

And remember this: there is always someone praying for what you have.

“The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it.” ~ Criss Jami

Blessings,

Theresa