Do You Deserve to Live your Truth?

Guest Post by Lisa Robbin Young

Sitting still is a rarity for me. Even when writing, I’m usually still for about 5 minutes between entrepreneurial distractions, kidstractions, and other demands.

Today, though, I was in the middle of some planned reading.

@chipconley‘s “Peak” has been in my hands for about 4 weeks – and it’s due back to the library soon, so I figured I’d better jump in and get my learning in for the week.

“It is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life.”

This is an excerpt from the quote that opens chapter six. It’s Jim Collins’ quote from “Good to Great”, and it gave me pause.

Pause, for me, is like heavy trauma.

Instantly (during the pause), I considered dozens of implications, not the least of which was writing this post for EPW.

That was at the forefront of my mind.

Because living my truth has become an adventure in living a meaningful life.

I remember the moment I first started living my truth.

As a child, I stood up to a relative that was behaving inappropriately (to say the least) – and was promptly quashed by my own Mother, who told me it was my fault he was behaving that way.

In that moment, I stopped living my truth – for a time.

I remember the next moment I started living my truth.

In college (the first time), I discovered the Internet, quit school, moved to the other side of the country, built a business, gave birth – and was promptly quashed by the man in my life when he decided to invite another woman (and her child) to share our home (and his bed), and essentially boot me to the curb.

Ah, my ‘young and stupid’ days.

Returning home to Michigan, I stopped living my truth – for a few years – as I tried on various truths: single mom, touring “rock star” (I recorded 2 full length albums), college graduate, financial advisor, and a host of other ideas that didn’t quite fit.

This pattern of starting and stopping, starting and stopping, left me clinging to fragments of the person I thought I “should” be or “could” be – not really knowing what truth was for myself.

And then came the accident.

The moment I accidentally started living my truth – kind of fell into it, I guess you could say.

As a child, God blessed me with the annoying habit of asking “Why?” all the time. Mom hated it. Dad hated it. My teachers hated it.

I wasn’t satisfied with ‘good enough’ and that adage makes me want to puke. To me, good enough rarely is. It forced me to find “a better way” to grow my direct sales business. And by accident, I wrote a book, launched a coaching company, and have helped thousands of clients all over the world to find “a better way” in their own business.

And then the second accident.

Realizing that asking “why” was the key to most of my success all along. It forced the launch my new business, because I wanted to help mompreneurs find a better way to live life and build a business without making excuses or apologies.

EPW and I have some history. We’ve charted parallel (and divergent) territories in the past year. It’s challenging to sum up all the learning, condense it into a single post that will rock your socks off.

But here it is: Do you believe you deserve to live your truth?

The answer to that question is important, but the answer to this question is even more important: Why?

Because whether you believe you do or don’t, the reason why is the catalyst that keeps you stuck, moves you forward, or burns your bridges.

Late last year, I realized that the clients I worked closest with, the ones that saw the best results, were the ones working on their values, their beliefs, and the “stuff” that really mattered to them – regardless of their industry. People kept asking me how I was accomplishing so much, how I was able to keep a level head – even when my family was dealt devastating blow after blow for the past 2 years.

The short answer was that I had to have some meaning in my life. Despite the chaotic cacophony around me, there was a respite, a sanctuary in asking “Why” all the time.

My mantra is “You are the most important product your company has to offer”, and I don’t pay it lip service. My goal continues to be to fully LIVE a great life. That’s a life fraught with meaning, thank you very much.

A meaningful life, to me, is rarely flaccid, boring, or unremarkable. It has ebb and flow, it has ups and downs – sometimes manic ups and downs.

Living my truth is finding that meaning in every moment - from the bedside teleclass when my oldest son was in the hospital, to the nightly bedtime prayer and singalong with my four year old, to the on-again, off-again, struggles with my hubby about housework, dollars per hour, and finances.

These are all pieces of what make me who I am. They are what give me (and my life) meaning. If I don’t like it, I’m the only one that can change it. Because meaning is personal.

I’ve discerned over the last year or so (with the help of EPW) that living my truth means helping people find the value (and meaning) in who they are and what they bring to the world – as a human AND a business owner. As entrepreneurs (and as a mompreneur myself), our businesses are an extention of who we are – an extention of our personal meaning.

And in truth, when we believe we deserve to live our truth (and understand why), the rest of our goals and ambitions becomes almost too easy.

But living your truth consistently, well, that’s the hard part.

Because it’s easy to step back and be quashed. It’s easier (for a time) to give up and let someone else dictate your truth.

It’s easier, that is, until it becomes hard. So hard that you can’t help but live it or die trying.

And that’s the truth of Lisa Robbin Young – to live with meaning, or die trying.

About Lisa Robbin Young: Tired of having to apologize to her family for loving her business, and apologizing to her clients for being a mom, Lisa created The Renaissance Mom, LLC, a company focused on helping mompreneurs bring life and family into balance without apologies. Sometimes her sink is full of dishes, but her kids always know what she looks like and business has never been better. Lisa believes that understanding the value of who you are and what you bring to the world is the “secret” to striking that balance. Her annual event, The Renaissance Mom Experience is focused on inspiring, connecting and helping mompreneurs to do exactly that. Connect with Lisa and learn more at TheRenaissanceMom.com.

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