The I AM Documentary is a great introduction to the IAM Approach to Success…
Tom Shadyac, writer and director of the I AM Documentary
Since we’ve named our approach to success “The IAM Way”, we’re always intrigued by anyone working with the language of IAM. We saw Oprah interview Tom Shadyac, the creator of the I AM Documentary, and both Diane and I were really excited. The synergies between the movie and our approach are beautiful…
Tom Shadyac is a very successful writer and director, who created a series of hit comedy movies.
After a life threatening accident, Shadyac realized that even though he was professionally successful, he didn’t feel like his life was a true reflection of what felt good and right to him.
He radically simplified his life, and went on to explore some basic questions in the I AM Documentary: what’s wrong with the world and what can we do about it?
Tom says that our cultural definition of success is typically based on job status and wealth, when real success is based on more “intrinsic” indicators like love, kindness and community.
Tom believes that what is wrong with the world is based on cultural beliefs rooted in competition, where we see the wealthy CEO as more successful than the janitor or the artist.
Humans, like animals, are naturally cooperative
In exploring what we can do about what’s wrong, Tom discovered scientific research that shows it is human nature to be cooperative rather than competitive.
Further, science has shown that nothing in nature takes more than it needs. Indeed, when something does take more than it needs, it’s called cancer.
Tom also shows scientific evidence that the entire human race is connected. Which implies that what one individual does has a broader impact that most of us can imagine.
Follow Your Heart and Become the Author of Your Life
The documentary also poses the idea that if you don’t do what your heart wants you to do and follow your passions, it will destroy you. In other words, if you don’t do what you love, you die a little every day.
Shadyac suggests that we carry on the conversation about solving the worlds problems in two ways:
- Challenge each other to be the authors of our own lives.
- Ask ourselves the question “who am I”?
We agree and we’ve been posing the “Who are you?” question to clients since 2005. With the IAM Maps and IAM Career SMART! specifically, we walk people through creating a Personal Strategic Career Plan, and the learning process guides them in being the authors of their lives.
Some Beliefs Get In The Way
We have identified 2 beliefs that are obstacles to following your passion. They are the source of unhealthy competition (not all competition is bad) and the source of struggle in answering the “who am I” question:
- The belief that ‘I am not enough’ which might look like ‘not good enough, or worthy enough’ … is the source of taking more than we need and unhealthy competition.
- The belief that ‘I am my drama’ which might look like ‘my doubts, or my fears’ … is the source of all struggle answering the “who am I’ question.
We guide people in shifting these core beliefs in two ways:
- Have an alternative to the ‘I am not enough’ belief. That alternative is based in abundance and always starts with:
- I have more than enough … money, time, food, resources of any kind
- I am more than enough right now … worthy, deserving, good (no waiting to get to heaven!)
- Have an alternative to the ‘I am my drama’ belief. We provide that alternative with the IAM Essence Map which provides ways to:
the IAM Essence Map - Simple
- Remember the real you, your IAM, what we call your essential best.
- Shift from identifying with the drama that happens in your life, to identifying with your IAM, the IAM.
We didn’t actually get to see the I AM Documentary; it played in our area only one day! We do hope to actually see the movie at some point. And of course we fully intend to actively engage in the ‘who am I?’ conversation …
The IAM Manifesto is a great place to start this conversation. In it we describe our holistic framework to love your work and life, and provide steps you can immediately take to reduce the stress in your life and start identifying with your essential best.
Get access to the IAM Manifest by signing up as a Free Member here!
Or you can get started right here, right now. When you consider the question ‘who am I’, how do you respond? What gets in the way of your being confident about your IAM?
Please share your comments below …
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Something that gets in the way of being confident about my IAM had to do with where I focus my attention. I used to be the kind of person who would say, “I don’t know what I want, but I know what I don’t want.” That kind of thinking is dangerous because I would come across as “wishy washy” or unsure of myself. When I shifted my focus to what I want and why I want it, I found that people really do want me to have what I want. And I want them to have what they want. No competition, no withholding, no compromising, no sacrificing, no victimization – just creating joy for ourselves.
Yea Diane! And creating joy for yourself creates joy for others … sometimes people forget that. The best gift we can give others, is our best joyful self – always knowing that whatever presents itself to the world – drama or our essential best – is a gift.