Let’s give a warm welcome to Carmelo, leading the discussion here at LFI for the first time. You know he’s no stranger here as he always adds a lot to the conversation. Take it away Carmelo!

Do you have a T-shirt that tells the world who you are?

You know, those that say things like: “World’s Best Kisser” or “Little League Champs” or “Dazed and Confused.” Well, a few years back, my t-shirt would have had a big, fat, yellow webpage button on it that said: “Buy Now!” and my index finger would have been poised right above it.

Actually, my finger would have been bloodied and bruised from jamming the heck outa those buttons. I’m embarrassed to admit it now … it was like an addiction.

So, what was I buying in my frenzy? Solutions. Gurus. Seminars. Marketing strategies. Blogging courses. You name it, I bought it. I was new to the online world and hungry for help. I found experts and gurus everywhere.

They had the big houses, drove the fancy cars, and had developed online tactics and strategies I knew nothing about. So, how could I go wrong? They obviously knew exactly what I needed. Didn’t they?

Have you ever been so tempted? Have you ever felt desperate for help in building a business, self-improvement or perhaps writing skills and earning money? Have you tried to buy solutions to your problems? Well, I was surely there until I was jolted out of it.

You know how sometimes the reality of a situation just suddenly appears out of nowhere? It whops you upside the head right out of the blue. That happened during a live seminar I was attending. I saw an eager but powerless audience. I was seeing familiar faces time and time again and hearing familiar stories of frustration and failure. Suddenly I saw myself for the first time. I was stuck in neutral, hooked on learning and going nowhere. It was a kick in the gut.

I was chasing dreams that weren’t mine. These were the goals and dreams of society and the gurus. These were the strategies and tactics that worked for others. And I fell for them because I didn’t give myself credit for the abilities I possessed.

Don’t we have more inner strength and wisdom than we give ourselves credit for? We’re experienced, talented, and capable. On a deeper level, we’re connected to all wisdom and truth but if we don’t know who we are and what we really want, we’re likely to succumb to what they say we should want.

And, as if addicted to our guru, we’ll mindlessly mash the “buy now button” to oblivion.

Have you ever chased dreams that weren’t truly yours? Have you been tempted by that button? What does your t-shirt say?