Have you ever known someone who seems to always be doing amazing things? It's like they seem to attract opportunities and wins in nearly any endeavor they pursue. (We try not to assume their progress is easy, but there's this magical 'make things happen' quality that almost seems supernatural. My sister is like that.) As I've gotten older, I've realized it's less about luck and more about something I lovingly call Who Power.
Success is less about what we know and more a function of who we know. Most of us have heard the adage "you're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." Depending on who we've got in our circle, this can be scary or great news.
When I first heard this, it was not good news. I had to disassociate from many of the people I was spending time with, not because they were bad people, but because they were not aligned with where I wanted to go or who I wanted to be. I had to spend a period of time knowing no one in a new city (deciding what my values were and how to live through them) before I started to witness who power unfold through my grad school cohort.
As we mature-- and hopefully get a clearer sense of our purpose and passions-- putting ourselves in situations to meet new people and experience new ways of thinking is crucial to our growth.
It's also the number one way I've found to gain traction in my personal and professional goals. In fact, I can trace my biggest life successes (building a business, losing 90lbs, and writing a book) to a series of connections that opened up doors, held me accountable, and shared the information I needed to move forward. Most recently, this has been amplified ten fold by being a part of a mastermind with other like-hearted entrepreneurs who value giving back.
But, here's the catch with exercising your who power: you have to steward your energy well on your own before you can connect meaningfully with people around you. Charisma can take us far, but it must be authentic or it will repel people. Sometimes-- often times-- creating who power in our lives must begin with building a deeper relationship with ourselves. Who power starts with you.
So, if you're feeling stuck, take some time to reset your energy; go for a walk or a workout, put on some jams and shake that groove thang! Find a way to shake the funk so you can get out there and exercise your who power.
If you have an idea for a business or project and need help getting it off the ground, get yourself to a mastermind STAT. As an introvert, I know that it can feel uncomfortable initially, but it's a game changer and the experience of building so many new and intimate relationships is so much fun! People are amazing, they often want to help you, and the world deserves to know your magic.
Some of the most successful people in life have become that way not because of what they do or know, but by putting themselves in the position of getting to know people who can connect them to opportunities to grow and elevate.