The Power of Stillness in Getting Out There3 min read

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This weekend I bought an excellent book I wanted to recommend to anyone who is working to get out there as a self-employed professional.

It’s called “Stillness is The Key” by Ryan Holiday.

Holiday has achieved something very rare: becoming a bestselling author of books on stoic philosophy!

And it’s because he’s a brilliant author who makes these ideas (going back 2,000 years) accessible and relevant to people today.

There are two big issues when it comes to marketing your services:

The first is learning the strategies and tactics to attract clients.

The second is all the issues that prevent us from taking action to attract clients.

Most people think the first is the hardest. It is not.

Anyone can learn the basics of getting out there fairly quickly.

Marketing and selling your professional services is not rocket science.

But getting past the resistance and fears about getting out there, making connections, and communicating about your business can be exhausting.

And that’s where the importance of stillness comes in.

Stillness is when you are simply aware of what is going on – without arguing about what’s going on. For instance…

You have a person you need to follow up with.

And instead of giving free rein to your thoughts that say you might get rejected or be embarrassed, you just do the follow-up.

Stillness and then action.

And that’s where this book is so powerful.

Unlike many philosophy books dealing with abstract concepts, it explores the practice of stillness with stories you will relate to.

Like John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Like baseball player Shawn Green, who broke a world record with four home runs in one game.

Like Mister Rodgers, who connected directly with children for 30 years.

The thing all these stories have in common is that they were about people who, under very challenging conditions, found their pathway to stillness.

Just about every week for 26 years, I’ve been writing this newsletter.

People often ask how I keep coming up with ideas and topics.

It’s really not hard. I write every Monday, and I don’t worry about what I’m going to write.

I don’t even worry about what my subscribers will think.

I simply trust that the ideas will come. I never have to force them.

Stillness is trusting that things will work out with persistence.

Stillness is knowing that if I send out an email promotion, whoever responds will be the right people.

Stillness is meeting with a prospective client without an agenda to turn them into a client.

Stillness is knowing that if I fail, I can try something new tomorrow.

Stillness is not exactly something you must work towards with a lot of struggle and effort.

Just the opposite; stillness is who you already are inside.

It’s all those thoughts, worries, doubts, and fears that you need to work on!

And when you read this book, you’ll gain an armful of ideas and insights that will help you do that.

“The world is like muddy water. To see through it, we have to let things settle. We can’t be disturbed by initial appearances, and if we are patient and still, the truth will be revealed to us.”

From Stillness is the Key

Get this book today. I think you’ll love it. And in these crazy, noisy days, I think it’s needed more than ever.

Cheers, Robert

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