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Baggage is Beautiful

Written by: Robin Elliott

Article Overview: Use your past mistakes to create credibility.

Baggage is Beautiful

Watch Glenn Beck on CNN – listen to his radio show. See how self-effacing he can be: “I’m a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, what do I know?” and we learn that baggage can be beautiful. Mr. Beck is a very smart man. When you can be real about yourself, laugh at yourself and use your bad, past experiences to connect and correct, your past sins can become blessings. A wide frame of reference can create empathy, insight and wisdom. In Robin William’s movie, “Man of the Year”, we saw that people understand and accept imperfection; they can relate to it. What they can’t relate to or trust is hypocrisy.

How can you use those past failures and bad choices to teach and help other people? Do you realize the power of the past, instead of wailing about how tough your life has been? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, remember? I would rather team up with a self-made person who has been bruised a bit and become real, than some namby-pamby, coddled and spoilt, egocentric, silver spoon-in-the-mouth pretty boy whose daddy paid for everything. I trust people who admit their faults without beating themselves up. If you’ve handled tough times in the past and come through it with a better perspective and well-honed life skills, you’re better equipped to handle future storms.

People think they have to hide their past blunders. “I never inhaled”. Imagine if Bill Clinton had said, “Yes, I did have sex with that woman, and I’m still one of the best presidents you ever had, so get over it!” I think that would have worked for him, especially in a world where people want results, not whitewashing. Get real. You’re not alone in your imperfection, and experience is something that daddy can’t buy for you. When you learn from your mistakes, are you not stronger than some untested individual? When you have been there, done that, are you still as vulnerable to temptation as that wet-behind-the-ears newbie? I think not.

Here’s what you DO have to look out for: PATTERNS. When peoples’ lives demonstrate a pattern of failure, stay away from them. If that alcoholic falls off the wagon every six months, his baggage is no longer beautiful. Look for Joint Venture partners who have a track record of learning from their mistakes, not repeating them. And take a good, hard look in the mirror at the same time. Baggage is beautiful when bad experiences and choices are stepping stones. Anyone who tends to carry those stepping stones around in his backpack is a liability.

When I speak to groups of people (90 people last night, six more talks in the next seven days), I am careful not to appear arrogant or talk down to my audiences. I don’t start believing my own PR and I remind myself that there are a lot of people in the audience who are a lot more accomplished and much smarter than I am. I don’t pretend perfection. It works for me. Your past failures can make you bitter, or better. Choose better.

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