Are you driven by your insecurities? Belive it or not, there was a time in my life when that’s all I was driven by. My insecurities stemmed from my childhood. I felt like I would never measure up, never be good enough or smart enough. I felt like I was not, and never would be, successful.

Those types of insecurities can rule your life, and in most cases you don’t even realize it. I’ve watched a lot of people, like myself, live their lives based on insecurities.

Insecurity can cause you to be a bully, push your way around and be a tyranical ruler. It can bury you, and cause you to hide under a mat and allow people to walk all over you. Insecurities can drive you to puchase things you think will make you feel better. They can cause you to wear certain clothes so people will accept you, or so you will accept yourself.

Insecurities can cause you to hate other people or treat them with rudeness, hostility, dishonor and disrespect. They can also cause you to strive for success, to the point where you lose sleep at night because you are constantly thinking, reevaluating, contemplating and planning a way to reach your goals.

Insecurities can kill your relationship with your spouse and kids, and it can kill your career or business.

I heard a saying 25 years ago, and it was that your income follows your personal growth, your personal development, your leadership.

It’s really important to know what your insecurities are in advance so when they rise up, you know how to deal with them. The fact is, your income follows your personal growth.

And not only that, but if your income somehow spikes and your personal growth is not equal with your income, I guarantee you, your income is going to fall back down to match your level of personal growth. That’s how it works! If you manage to increase your income, but you are filled with insecurity — wanting what everyone else has, trying to cover up how you really feel about yourself through buying expensive things, trying to prove to yourself and everyone else that you are successful — you will not maintain that higher level of income.

There’s a story I’ve been following for a little while, and it’s actually a great example of this. There’s this musician who built quite a following and found a tremendous amount of investors to buy into sponsoring him and helping him to become a very successful musician. He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and he put himself in the right place at the right time with the right producers, and he got signed by a label. This musician has an amazing amount of talent. His first album was filled with big hits, and his band went on tour.

Unfortunately, at his level of personal growth, he was not ready to handle all of the recognition that came with the concerts, music videos and thousands of screaming fans. His character — who he really was inside — began to show. He began to mistreat people and turn into a controlling bully. He attempted to show his “power” by degrading other people. He became a tyrant, and he mistreated the people who helped him get where he was. At the same time, he became very foolish with his finances.

I just found out this man’s label actually dropped him. He is no longer touring because his label doesn’t want to work with him.

Think about how many times you’ve heard that kind of story. Another example is Steve Jobs. In his first couple of decades, he was known as a tyrant. It even reached the point where he was actually fired from his own company because of his terrible people skills. Not only did he lose his company, but he lost his friends. Why? Because he didn’t have the character to maintain his success, deal with the problems or honor the people.

He was away for a long time, and when he came back, he became outrageously successful because he increased his level of personal growth.

So right now I want you to evaluate your own insecurities. What is driving you every day? Do you have a tendency to be a bully or a doormat due to insecurities? Are you chasing things because you think they will help you feel better or prove to others you are successful?

That’s how I was, and it was the most empty time in my life. I hated myself and my life when I was chasing success. I’m so glad I made a major change in my life and dealt with my insecurities.

Whether you realize it or not, your insecurities are hurting your marriage, your kids and your co-workers. They are hurting your future. Do not run and hide from them — it’s time to attack them head-on! Get counseling if you need to. Join me at the next Creating a Dynasty event, where we deal with those inner issues that seem to always pop up and cause problems in our lives. If you want long-term success, you’ve got to increase your personal growth!

Take a moment today to share this message with everyone around you. I know you desire to see your friends, family and co-workers succeed, just as I want to see you succeed. So print this out and pass it around your home and office today, forward the email, and share this link on your Facebook and Twitter.

I can’t wait to talk to you LIVE this Sunday night on The Dani Johnson Show! Tune in on your TV or radio at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT and join the discussion.

In great faith,

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