Stop White Knuckling Your Way Through Life and Start Living Powerfully
BY TRACY HOLLAND
Workaholism, and the focus of a Pitbull in my career at one point cost me my health, which I neglected, during my relentless pursuit of getting to the top. It also cost me in the quality of my relationships, which often felt competitive. And it cost me the ability to focus on the creation of other joys, like an authentically happy marriage.
What I’m talking about here is ambition – a word so many of us aspire to embody and speak with excitement. But the thing is, ambition can also be lethal to many aspects of life. Even worse, it typically doesn’t get you to true powerhouse results.
Letting Go of the Rope
You can live your ultimate life and build your ultimate business just by shifting how you see your circumstances. It’s very possible to be extremely successful and not work all hours of the day and night. Too many women stop themselves from taking the risk, because they think the cost will be too high, or that they don’t have the time to own a business, or be an entrepreneur and have children. It doesn’t have to be that way.
It all hinges on my one big theory, a theory I call “letting go of the rope.”
The theory is simple:
If you want to be, and do, and have everything in this life, you must switch your instinctive clinging to a rope, that you will relentlessly climb, and instead focus on ease, fulfillment, and happiness.
The true key to becoming a powerhouse lies in alignment, and there are three steps to take to get yourself there:
1. Understand that white knuckling is ridiculous.
If you want to really become a powerhouse in your life, you must drop white knuckling because it is not serving you in two ways:
It makes you believe you can control everything when you cannot control anything.
It makes you stressed, sick, and miserable, and takes all the joy out of the creation process.
2. Adopt a growth mindset instead of the white knuckling mindset. AKA: speak nicely to yourself.
What are we saying to ourselves while we’re working on our pursuits? Maybe things like: “it is never going to work out, I have to pull harder! I must push harder! I have to work harder!” Or, “this is not working out for me – what can I do differently?”
Even worse, you may even be saying: “you are worthless, you are stupid, if this doesn’t work out, you have nothing going for you.”
I have heard it all. Honestly, I have even said them to myself. Consider what would happen if we did the opposite.
Speaking to yourself in a way that is kinder and thinking on a level that is proactive will get you much further, cost you much less in terms of stress, and help you create a much better life experience.
Remember: Failures are OK. In fact, failure isn’t even real if we instead look at it as a learning experience.
3. Develop real trust in yourself and the universe.
Here’s the third and last key: develop real trust.
I learned this one the hardest way when I went through a business partnership dissolution.
Let me tell you – I had so many sleepless nights and restless days whizzing by. My mind raced every day, my heart raced, I could not see a solution…
After months of fighting, I had finally mentally let go, and knew it was time to physically and emotionally let go as well. I turned a page and imagined a million other things I could and would be doing with my time… And, just like that – the solution appeared. Like it had always been there, but I couldn’t see it because I was so caught up in the fight and the “what if’s.”
The price of holding on so tight to the rope is your peace and happiness. Your daily moments become so lackluster that you forget to enjoy the journey.
Potential to Powerhouse
When I decided to turn this around internally by doing the work – working with a coach to change and understand my thinking, learning to speak positively to myself (and to be gentler with others as a result), I not only ended up resolving situations, but I managed to create a bigger company, more companies, more wealth, stronger boundaries, a clearer voice and a brighter and more powerful life.
On my new podcast, Potential to Powerhouse, and in programs that I am releasing this summer, I teach women entrepreneurs these tactics, and more, to create the empires that they dream of.
I’m also hosting my first annual virtual summit on June 23rd and 24th, where I’m placing at your fingertips the mentors and mavericks who helped inspire me — to teach YOU. Attendees will hear from the world’s top experts, including Sallie Krawcheck, Christie Hefner, Katherine Power, John Amaral, Teddi Mellencamp, and more.
General Admission is free, and I’m offering the She Built It™ community $60 off of the upgraded VIP package; for even more opportunities to grow, learn, and connect with these thought leaders. Visit https://www.potentialtopowerhouse.com/summit to get on the waitlist, and once sales are live, use the code POWER60 at check out. Hope to see you there.
Tracy Holland Bio:
Tracy Holland is a founder, investor, Executive Chairman, and entrepreneur who is an authority on beauty and wellness with a global track record of incubating and launching brands. Tracy co-founded the HATCHBEAUTY brand incubator in 2009 and has since led highly successful development strategies and launches for popular brands including: Naturewell by Jewel, Nuance by Salma Hayek, BLISS color, FOUND Active, and Orlando Pita Haircare.
In January 2021, Tracy launched the Potential to Powerhouse podcast and digital platform. The multi-faceted brand concept’s goal is to empower women in business and life through shared wisdom, enhanced community, mindset elevation, and giving back.
Her awards and honors include 2019 Fashion and Beauty Award for Beauty Service Provider of the Year, EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017, and election to The Committee of 200, an organization of the most successful women business leaders globally.