Here’s a sneak peek inside the book, and the Foreword by Anthony Robbins:
D
uring these changing and turbulent times, what is the single biggest factor in shaping the quality of our lives? What affects our ability to not only survive, but also thrive? What are the forces that determine whether we face failure or sustain success? The truth is these are uncertain times—in 2008, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics there were 43% more people laid off than in 2007. This year, major companies such as IBM have fired 1400 people in the month of January alone. The times are uncertain, but while we have minimum control in being able to change the external environment, we do have maximum power in being able to shift our internal environment—being able to control not only what a situation means to us, but also how we show up. To get the best out of the worst times, we need to demand the best from ourselves—we need to perform at our peak level.
After having the privilege of spending thirty years serving over three million people from over 100 different countries, I know that there are certain patterns that create success and other patterns that breed failure. I’ve had the pleasure of working with elite, peak performers in business, politics, entertainment and sports such as legendary basketball Coach John Wooden, who won a record ten NCAA championships in twelve years. Coach Wooden’s philosophy was simple: “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” To him, it was not about winning or losing, it was about getting the best out of his players’ ability, allowing them to focus on their strengths and not their weaknesses. If we adopted a similar focus, we would not only set ourselves up to win in these trying times, but we would be fulfilled in the process. I believe that success without fulfillment is failure.
In fact, the definition of success is being able to achieve your goals and be fulfilled in the process. The secret to achieving and being fulfilled is having the courage to go beyond the skills you’ve learned and discover the gifts that you were born to give and to employ them daily. So many people settle and adapt to the work or career they’ve chosen or fallen into. They might even say, “Well, obviously I’ve got to enjoy my work. I picked it, didn’t I?” While that may be true, the question is: Did you pick it consciously, knowing
what your gifts are, knowing what’s inside of you that is most powerful? Again, I’m not referring to the part of you that’s been educated and trained. We can all train ourselves to do just about anything. This is about the part of you that you were born to use, to contribute, and to serve at a higher level.
Most people pick their work or career unconsciously, based upon conditioning, proximity or expectation—based on reasons that were not completely their own. When that happens, it increases the gap between achieving a depth of success and living a life of meaning and “just getting by.” As long as that gap remains—as long as they’re trying to do something they’re not thrilled about or something that isn’t part of their nature—they might achieve in the short-term, but they will never succeed in the long-term.
It’s essential for today’s employers to recognize and cultivate their employees’ talents and gifts if they want to retain them and remain viable in the marketplace. And it’s critical for employees to understand what really motivates them in order to be able to communicate these needs to their employers and generate opportunities for win-win situations—where they are committed to peak performance and feel
like there’s principle and enjoyment in what they do; where business owners and managers are nurturing and efficiently supporting their staff; and companies are reaping the benefits of cooperation and optimal productivity.
Jay Niblick’s in-depth, comprehensive study What’s Your Genius represents a truly ground-breaking approach toward innovating how we think of our careers, our life’s purpose, and ourselves. Niblick has taken on the tremendous responsibility of transforming cultural attitudes about work and achievement that have been in place for more than a century, while simplifying the exhaustive academic legwork that legitimizes the importance of individual authenticity. He introduces easily-implementable strategies for not only attaining that sense of real accomplishment we all long for in life, but also a truly profound understanding of who we really are at our core. With these imperative components in place, finding fulfillment in what we do does not have to be reserved for the lucky few. With a few minor (and in some cases, major) adjustments to our perceptions, what people want most out of themselves and this key aspect of life is readily available.
Whether you’re pursuing your dreams as an entrepreneur or exploring other career options, being authentic and actively appreciating what you’re really capable of is going to be one of the most important forms of social and economic capital in the coming years. It will make the difference between mediocrity and excellence; the difference between “just getting by” and really thriving instead. It’s the psychological and emotional edge that will help us create better lives not only for ourselves, but also for everyone that we influence in our global community. With increasing economic pressure, now more than ever, is the time to extract the best out of yourself and to use that gift to touch the lives of others.
Jay Niblick’s What’s Your Genius? will give you the tools to utilize your strengths to reap higher returns and the success that, as Coach Wooden puts it, “comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
~ Anthony Robbins
May 2009
