When I meet with individuals or a businesses, one of the first things I pick up on is where they’re missing opportunities to align with who they say they are. For instance, a business says it’s all about collaboration, and on their website they feature pictures either of people by themselves or — in one case — two people leaning their backs against a brick wall that was squarely between them. (Ever try to collaborate through a brick wall? Not easy.)
Or there’s the business that says it makes things easy on its customers. When a customer tries to ask a question, make a return, or find something on the company’s website, though, they have to cut through layers upon layers of red tape before getting anywhere. Sound easy? Not to me!
Few do it on purpose. Instead I’ve found that it’s unconscious and often comes from a desire to be something that unfortunately, for myriad reasons, is in conflict with a person or business’s operational values.
I’ll turn this onto myself for a moment. I remember applying for jobs years ago and it often sounded appealing to write “collaborative and a good team player” on my resume. Companies love employees like that, don’t they?! Back then, however, I was better at working by myself because I liked controlling outcomes, being in charge of the pacing of projects, and being solely responsible for deliverables. Relying on others was a drag to me. Yet I couldn’t readily admit it to myself. And that “ugh” energy was what I was unconsciously emanating… Which explains why I wasn’t chosen for those collaborative positions!
What can we do about it? For starters, we can start to identify areas in our lives or business where there are gaps between what we say (whether it’s what we say we want, or who we say we are) and what’s actually showing up for us.
In a universe where everything is comprised of energy and complementary energies are drawn together, we’re constantly being shown what’s real. Better still, we’re being shown what’s really happening at our core. And once we identify that, we can begin to make shifts.
I had a business owner tell me he really wanted to grow his business, yet it remained stagnant for decades. His words were in conflict with his core values. At his core, he was content with running a small company and/or he was fearful about what it would take to manage a larger one. So the size of his business remained unchanged.
I’ve had individuals tell me about their wishes to become massively wealthy, and then later how much they abhor really wealthy people.
On the flip side, I love seeing people and businesses who are core-value aligned. It’s refreshing, inspiring, and when I’m around them I feel more at home in myself. Plus, their success is palpable!
One of my close friends is all about Love, and has dedicated her life to spreading kindness through the world. I’ve watched her operate from the heart even with people who have treated her cruelly. I personally know how hard it is to be kind to people who have worked their way out of my good graces. My friend, however, stays true to her core…and it’s miraculous to behold. She naturally attracts more “good” into her life as a result, and is beloved by thousands of people (yes, thousands!).
Trader Joe’s is another favorite when it comes to alignment. Their mission states:
We are committed to providing our customers outstanding value in the form of the best quality products at the best everyday prices. Through our rewarding products and knowledgeable, friendly Crew Members, we have been transforming grocery shopping into a welcoming journey full of discovery and fun since 1967.
At the height of the COVID pandemic, I switched my allegiance from Whole Foods to Trader Joe’s because the experience I had in their store was warmer, more welcoming and much more fun than what was happening at the Amazon-owned giant around the corner. Alignment has paid off for them, too. Recent estimated revenues have them at $13.7B with 10,000 employees, while Whole Foods is around $15.7B with (ready?) 90,000 employees.
When we come from a place of alignment, we more easily attract both the type and level of success we’re after. And all it takes is discovering what’s operating at our core.
