Your insecurity is your superpower.

I don't know who Barbara Corcoran is, but I like her. A lot.

I saw a quick interview with her on Business Insider recently and she talked about what a person needs to succeed.

I'm talking success in life, in work and in love: here you go, you ready?

Be an insecure person. Be as insecure as possible. Be SO insecure that you can hardly stand yourself. Be passionate about making or wanting other people to like, validate and accept you.

You might think I've completely lost my mind. I haven't. But I AM insecure on occasion, so I really GOT what Barbara was saying. I know how it feels to think nothing I do or am matters or that I will never win over my biggest critics. I often reconsider half of anything I attempt and wonder why the heck I even try. But, eventually, I DO try. And try. And try. And try.

Barbara Corcoran says this is the key to success. She is an investor for the television show, Shark Tank. I don't watch television and I have never seen this show but I've heard of it, of course, because I don't live under a rock. She also knows a thing or two about being successful so I listened closely. Mind you, the interview was about money, one common metric of success, but Barbara seemed less focused on money and more on true success: personal happiness and fulfillment

Barbara said some of the biggest success stories are people who felt they had something to prove. This is contrary to what we usually hear about success in the business world, right? Well, having been a business owner for six years and meeting many other business owners, I can tell you Barbara is right on the money. Pun intended.

I've written before about what happens behind the curtains and closed doors of peoples' lives. I've shared that more often than not, people keep secrets to appear to have it all together. They may share a wee detail here and there, but keep most everything locked up tight. 

Are they still successful? Sure. I guess it just depends on how you're measuring success. They may have a lot of money in the bank (or stuffed in a mattress) and material things or prestige earned from people believing their convincing facade. But on a day-to-day basis, do they feel satisfied and fulfilled? Do they feel content? Do they feel like they've done/been/said "enough"?

Nope. Not usually. And that insecurity is what drives them. It motivates them to prove their value and worth and, in a best-case scenario, that drive helps them succeed more. 

If you count yourself among the many, many, MANY insecure people on the planet and you feel you have something to prove, i.e. something to share to make the world a better place, I highly suggest you own it and get started. Be prepared for failure though, because the odds of winning the love, praise and support of everyone is highly unlikely. Focus on who matters most, believe in your overall message and mission and reach for the stars.

And, as you reach, don't worry if your hem is showing. No one can really tell.

Dillan DiGiovanniComment