Success is an Inside Job – Tools for Transformation Part 1
by Kathy Gardarian
To Lead with Love, We Must First Mend Our Broken Hearts
“Know your early drivers. Success is an inside job. We won’t heal or evolve unless and until we are willing to shine a light on our hidden motivators, to really examine them. Remember, you can’t give what you don’t have.”
In my book Feet To The Fire: Finding My Soul In Success, I chronicle my journey from a good little Catholic Italian-American girl to the CEO of a hugely successful, worldwide distribution-and-supply company.
During the earliest years of my life, it felt like the universe had mistakenly dropped me into the wrong family. My mother, who felt trapped in a miserable marriage, barely tolerated me. No matter how hard I tried to be helpful, perfect, and lovable, it was all to no avail.
Our early experiences, influences, and circumstances shape us for good and for the ill. To this day, I need to keep an eye on my tendencies toward perfectionism and distrust that have driven my choices in life, love, and in business. Thankfully, over the years, I’ve learned to identify and repair the wounds of my past.
What about you?
When you think back to your earliest memories, were any negative messages carved deep into your still-developing soul? Remember, we won’t heal or evolve unless and until we are willing to shine a light on our hidden motivators, to really examine them.
In order to lead with love, first, we need to heal our hearts. I hope you can join me on this journey so together we can transform the male-dominated paradigm of success.
