The lesson I learned from the world's top success coach
It was 10 pm on September 10, 2024.
I was on an observation tower in the middle of nowhere.
It was cold. Windy. And even, a bit creepy. For context, this is how it looked:
Now, what was I doing there?
I was waiting for a chance to photograph the Northern Lights.
Did I get them? I did (woohoo), but this issue is not about them.
While waiting in the cold, I was listening to a class by Brendon Burchard, someone Forbes calls "The world’s leading high-performance coach".
That night while I was waiting in the vast darkness, something he said deeply resonated with me. And this lesson made me view my journey in an entirely new light.
And I knew it could help change many of your lives, so I had to share it with you.
Becoming a lighthouse
Brendon lectured on many things, one being on becoming a lighthouse.
A lighthouse? Yes, a lighthouse.
A lighthouse is a stable building in the middle of darkness. It stands there, guiding ships in the endless darkness.
But, Brendon wasn't talking about buildings. He was talking about people.
You probably have had lighthouses in your life - people who have helped you through a dark period. They've been someone who you've been able to count on for support and guidance.
Lighthouses make you feel safe and OK being who you are.
They might even make you realize what you're able to achieve - who you have the potential to become.
Certainly, I've had them too when I was bullied, and even this year when I've gone through more difficult periods.
1st I'd like to ask you, who have been your lighthouses? Who have been the people that have helped you through something?
What have you learned from them? Write that down for yourself, or at least pause reading and think about it. Reflecting on this can give you great insights.
I can say one lighthouse was my therapist when I was bullied at school.
I wasn't able to open up to anyone else - and she made me feel better about myself. She encouraged me to keep up photography, and complimented my photographs. (Now it's still a mystery did she actually like the photos, lol, but the compliments made me feel good.)
For most of my days in secondary school, I lived within 4 walls in my room at home.
My daily routine was to wake up, make coffee, eat bread, go to school, get to my room, and move my bed in front of my door. Literally. I didn't want anyone to bother me, I just wanted to be on my own.
But my therapist was someone I looked forward to chatting with.
Yes, I got to leave school early to meet with her, which was awesome haha.
But overall, it always felt good to have someone who seemed to understand the situation, and who knew how to navigate it all.
Why am I telling this?
Think, who can you become a lighthouse for?
Who's struggling? Who could need your help? Someone needs your beam of light, as Brendon says too.
Who do you need to be a lighthouse for?
Think about it - or write a name, or names down.
Now you should have written down, or on your mind:
1) Who has been your lighthouse
2) Who do you need to be a lighthouse for
Now, lastly, the most important question out of these 3:
Who do you need to become to be the best lighthouse? What do you need to get better at? What do you need to change? What is it that would make you more of a role model?
Being a role model for others, or a lighthouse, is one of the best things you can do.
You don't need to be famous to be a role model. You can already be a role model for some.
Whether this is for your kids, your neighbour, or a friend from work. You can help others - and helping makes you feel better about yourself too.
Contribution is deeply ingrained in human nature, which is why it feels SO good to help other people. Without helping others, we would not have survived as a species, which is why nature rewards us for it.
After reflecting a bit, this is what I felt I had to improve in to be able to help even more people:
writing
marketing
business
sales
communication
filming videos
hiring
And more.
This is what will enable me to help more people.
What will you need to learn to be more helpful to others?
It might be photography, social media, business... or something else.
How will your development further change people’s lives?
Will you be able to ease their burden? Will you be able to capture precious moments of their lives through amazing shots? Will you be able to share the stories you want through social media - and make an impactful change that way?
Think about it.
When you become a role model, your life improves as you improve… and so do other people’s too.
Summary
Ask these questions from yourself:
1) Who have been your lighthouses - and the lessons learned from them
2) Who do you need to be a lighthouse for
3) Who do you need to become to be the best lighthouse
I'd like to encourage you to become a lighthouse - a role model for people. There are people who need your beam of light.
I hope you found this Letter insightful.
If you did, feel free to forward it to your friend.
If you were forwarded, you can subscribe for more Letters here.
The next Letter will arrive next week in your inbox.
Till then,
Hugo
P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 4 other ways I can help you:
#1: Ready to grow your followers and make money on social media as a photographer in 2024? Click here to apply to my 1-1 Social Media Coaching Program.
#2: Have you seen my YouTube channel? I've put stuff out there too. I bet you'd find it valuable. Check out my latest videos and come give me a like and subscribe. :)
#3 Have you already transformed your photos with editing? If not, my Lightroom Editing Masterclass & Preset Pack could be for you. Learn about it here.
#4: I have a lot of free resources out there. Read the past Letters here.
