Do You Stop Doing What’s Not Working? Or Do You Continue Mastering Your Craft?

Where is the Fine Line?

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

“Stop doing what’s not working!” I saw one of the online “gurus” shared on FB. “If you try something and it doesn’t produce the results you are after, don’t do it”.

I instantly disagreed with that statement.

How do you master something? I immediately thought. When you try something for the first time, it never works.

How do you build resilience, when you stop after the first “no”?

How do you stretch and challenge yourself if everything comes easily to you?

What about the growth though difficulties? Wisdom from learned failure?

When I first started speaking in front of audiences, I was absolutely rubbish. There was no clarity in my message, no consistency or inner harmony that connects with people and challenges their thinking and offers a new perspective.

There was just blind passion, broken English and a rapid delivery ( because of nervousness).

Surely, one could say, “it wasn’t working.”

Despite the poor delivery and no tangible results ( like being hired as a speaker), I kept working on it. I kept experimenting with stories, transparency and vulnerability.

Initially, it was awkward and, at times, embarrassing. The response from the audience wasn’t always the way I expected.

But I kept going. I knew, that was deeply aligned with my values, my passion and purpose. It was one of the activities that made me feel alive, regardless I “bad” my speeches were.

I wanted to inspire people. That was my inner driver.

And sure enough, eventually because of my persistence I had the privilege to speak in front of huge audiences ( at times, up to 4000 people) in the USA and Europe.

If I had the mindset, “I should stop doing what’s not working”, I would have never developed my thinking, analytical and storytelling skills, which allowed me to speak internationally, author my book, and build a business, empowering women living their dreams.