Recently I was interviewed by Michael Ellsberg for his upcoming book on self-taught billionaires (no, I am not one!). He asked me, as many have before him, what prompted me to become a monk for 7 years. I gave my usual reply, which is that I found the pain and suffering of the world overwhelming. At the time, I felt that if I could meditate really, really hard, I’d somehow reduce some of the staggering human suffering I’d both witnessed and felt.
Today I “got” it though – the real, deep, subterranean reason why I took such serious vows at age 17. I was working with Lin Morel, one of my advisors, and a few hours after our working session it hit me.
The reason I took my vows 30 years ago, pledging my life to God and agreeing to great self-sacrifice, was because I knew I could succeed at it. You see, I know how to love God. I am a fool for God and happy to say it, absolutely.
Now here’s the dark underbelly: Yes, I knew I could succeed at being a monk. But I didn’t think I could succeed at anything else.
I’d grown up, as many of you who read this have, being told I was a disappointment. I’d heard many times that I wasn’t worth much and wouldn’t amount to much. I bought into this lie for quite some time, albeit at some subconscious level… longer than I’d like to admit (!).
Eventually, I chose a different path and decided to break my vows as a monk. By then I felt called to a different kind of freedom. My creativity called me to build businesses and make millions and give away millions, which ultimately has led to my helping others do the same.
People come to me with all sorts of beliefs, and more often than not, at some level, they feel that they too aren’t worth much. They can’t succeed, or worse, they’ll try and won’t succeed.
I’m writing today to say don’t buy in. Don’t believe it. You ARE worth something. You are worth A LOT. I’m a high school dropout who thought I could only love God. I believed that I couldn’t really do anything else of value, and people certainly wouldn’t pay me for it.
If I can build multiple businesses, make millions, have a deeply fulfilling life — you can certainly do so too. Think of the most “worthy” or “valuable” person you know. Since we’re all made of the same stuff (God), then YOU are worth every bit as much as they are. You’re courageous, magnificent, valuable and MIGHTY.
I wish I knew this when I was a kid, a teen, a 20 something, a 30 something. It took me a long long time to get it. But heck, one learns when they’re ready. And maybe I’m a slow learner. I am a fool, after all.
Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
NY Times Best Selling Author
I love this article Christine! It takes a lot of courage in todays world to say “I LOVE GOD” and to do so openly to the world. Very cool that you took up vows for God for 7 years at the age of 17! wow!
I do have to say, I am very grateful that you took your new direction and path as you have tremendously impacted my view of business and helped my young company gain clarity and vision on direction. Thank you Christine and keep it up!
I think feelings of undeservedness and unworthiness are the underpinnings of most of the issues we have in life. Especially in regards to financial success, but in many other areas as well. My husband and I have invested several years unblocking these issues with a variety of methods and I have to say, it is a much happier space to live when you know you are worthy of good things in life.
Thank you for your insights and courage in revealing the things that are painful to share!
Wow, Christine…your story is amazingly similar to mine.
I took a route of spiritual pilgrimage at 16, dropping out of school and walking around India to meditate with all my heart with the goal of uncreating this illusion…HA! LOL!
Like you said “At the time, I felt that if I could meditate really, really hard, I’d somehow reduce some of the staggering human suffering I’d both witnessed and felt.” That’s exactly where I was at age 16-17 during my pilgrimage.
And now I am a middle age entrepreneur, learning what I am worth. And yes, it is always more than you think. What a beautiful path to be on discovering the tremendous value in everyone and everything!
Christine, you are absolutely one of my favorites. You inspire me deeply to feel my worthiness and to ignite that in others. Thank you again for a wonderful blog.
HAY- Maybe by the time the book is published, you WILL be a billionaire!?! Could happen… Glad that you had this insight and appreciate that yo used it as a gift to all. Your love of god in one of the most inspirational aspects you demonstrated to me. Declaring this wellspring is powerful. Thanks for being an important part of my life.
Vickie Jimenez says: Beautiful insight- For me seeing and staying present with someone while they are in their deepest suffering or deepest illusion and expressing love in that moment is serving God to the fullest. Yet, also for me, being present and walking through my own suffering or illusion is how I serve God to the highest.
It’s a courageous thing to allow yourself to go deeply into the quiet lost hell of the past and share a piece of your lostness so openly so that others can have a view of the way out. I have heard that called soul retreaval or going to hell for a heavenly cause. That is a great way to help others find the path out of illusion.
When you were writing I too got to remember and re-examined how I also believed that I had nothing to offer except a spiritual love for the divine and it is empowering for me to hear that I am not the only one who has experienced that level of pain and unconsciousness. Thank you for sharing and modeling the way out. It is more than hope it is the cessation of that type of suffering. Namaste!
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Great story! We all hit mental roadblocks and they can sometimes be so hard to get past. I too have struggled with what I am meant to do and what I want to do going forward. Now that I have turned 40, I am on a new mission – to help inventors with their deepest problems and need myself to discover how best to do that!
Thanks to you Christine for this thought!
Jim