Personal Power e-zine, August 7, 2007

Why "Fake It Until You Make It" Doesn't Work - Part 2

"Fake it till you make it" was a famous slogan in the 20th Century. The question is, why give the world a fake when the real thing is so much better?

You have to ask yourself, are you in it for a quick "score", a quick fix, or are you in it for the long term? The approach described in this (two-part) article does not lead to overnight success. However, it DOES work, and it IS simple to implement…if you allow it to be!

This approach requires you to choose and make a few unbreakable promises that build your character. ("Character"…now there's a word we hardly hear today. I'd like to bring it back! All real power grows from character.) I won't say it's wrong to "fake it" - but the results are less than what you deserve.

Here are three more reasons why "fake it till you make it" deals you a short hand:

4. You're not fooling anybody.

Before they climbed down out of the trees, human beings developed an innate gut instinct. This instinct always knows the truth. I know that when I sense deception, my internal alarm goes, "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!"

If you weren't a fan of Lost in Space as a kid, maybe your alarm says something else - but you're equipped with the same highly accurate alarm. I call this alarm discomfort. If your alarm continues to go off, you'll pull away, even if you don't consciously know why.

Deep down, we all know the truth about one another. Whether we listen to that truth is another story; some of us aren't really interested. But the highest quality people, the ones that you want to do business with and have in your personal life, are tuned in to that truth.

The way to create comfort (other than being really good at deception, and you're probably not as good at it as you think you are) is to be 100% real and truthful. In time you will grow and go higher…the right way!

5. Your exterior expresses your interior. So your real work is INSIDE.

Many of us "fake it" because we want quick results, and we're afraid of testing our faith in ourselves. If you don't like the results you're getting in your life, look (without blame) at the true source.

If you haven't created the success you desire within yourself, everything good you do create will be unstable, fleeting and temporary. If you want your success to last, it's time to grow up and learn the rules of the game. It's immature to believe that your life is only about the show you put on. It might be time for you to go deeper within. For example:

If you have a lot of clutter in your life, it's probably because you have a lot of emotional clutter within. Do some internal emotional housekeeping.
If you have a lot of drama in your life - if pieces of the past repeat themselves over and over again, and NOT in a good way - then you probably still have open doors from your past that you haven't closed. Learn to let go and move on.
If you aren't satisfied with your relationships at work or at home, go within and look at the parts of your relationship with yourself that are unhappy.
It isn't about the show you put on. It's about the natural person you can become once you face the challenges within yourself and become complete and whole. Then it gradually becomes natural and easy to be the person you know you can be proud of.

6. Positive thinking alone doesn't give you power. Learning and applying ALL the steps gives you power.

If you try to take a final exam without preparing or studying, you're not going to be able to "fake it" on the exam. Life is no different. Your willingness to embrace challenges without trying to cheat or skip over the hard parts is the key to becoming a more real, truly powerful person.

Trying to address challenges by reading self-help books…without diligently performing prescribed exercises and taking recommended actions…doesn't work. Commit to yourself, do your homework, throw yourself in, face your fears. Then you'll see what your really made of!

Rewards of Being the Real You

To "fake it" is to not trust parts of yourself. The sooner you learn to accept ALL of you, the more truly successful you can be. To be comfortable with your humanity means you have to feel all the delicious emotions that are part of this human package. Some of them can be intense, but denying them only makes THEM stronger, and YOU weaker. If you accept them, they will be like weather - they will pass through and then be gone.
Learn the SEQUENCE of the steps to success. By "success" I mean the happiness and freedom that comes from following your path. Sequence is the key, but it's missing from almost every self-improvement program. People get anxious or arrogant, they jump ahead, and they miss important chapters in their development. Commit to taking your time and following the steps in the recommend sequence. Don't leave anything out because you think you're above it. No one gets out of this lesson; it must be learned by all. Those who "get it" get the prize!
Follow your truth. Tune in to your inner guidance system. You can recognize truth because it always gives you clarity and power. When you follow your truth, regardless of how scary it is, you will always feel self-respect, energized and alive.
Don't be afraid to have faith in YOU. When you fake it, you put your faith in other people and what THEY think, instead of in yourself. Once you achieve a level of comfort and self-respect , you won't have to fake it.

You will grow in power and strength as you gain clarity that YOU are the true and lasting power in your life. Then the exciting question will be…what are you going to DO with your power?

About the Author

Personal power expert Michelle Rigg is the author of You Must Be OUT of YOUR MIND: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating More Power In Your Life. Her clients usually see remarkable improvements in income, relationships, communication, focus, and clarity after completing just one workshop or telephone laser session. For a FREE 5-step course that will supercharge your personal power, visit http://www.createpersonalpower.com.

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