I love a good metaphor. An especially powerful metaphor for me lately has been that of an onion. The Cleveland Method deals with a deep understanding of our core drives and unconscious motivations. When we focus inward, only then can we genuinely understand others.

Lately with my students I’ve seen tremendous growth in quite a number of people that I’ve been talking with. This growth comes not only from an application and dedication to the strategies of persuasion in business but it comes from applying these to your whole life.

One of my students, an adviser who is becoming more and more successful in his business and financial life, was telling me on a recent phone call how these skills have not only affected his “bottom line” but they have meant so much to him in other ways. As a result of one technique, he stopped smoking and some other incredibly positive things have taken place in his life. (This is what I live for. When my students have breakthroughs in all areas.)

As an example of this peeling of layers, one both figurative and literal, I have seen this growth in my own life having shed 140 pounds. Peeling the layers, getting to the core of what is important, improving, fine tuning. . .these persuasion skills apply for us to enhance and grow.

By peeling away these layers I uncovered something else I needed to remedy–a hernia. Now I’m able to help myself even further towards the goal of excellent health.

These kinds of things that make us begin to understand the power of the unconscious drives and the motivations in our lives. While my focus for this program has become laser like in relation to persuading our affluent clientle, I realize that the bigger picture is of the utmost importance. I say this time and again; we are the first step, our own first project, in the pursuit of persuasion. Learn to persuade yourself, the rest will fall into place seamlessly and naturally.

I can absolutely guaranty you that there’s never been a great persuader on the face of the planet who doesn’t have a degree of mastery over his own life. Before I lost the weight, I had a very conflicted relationship with the thinking, the practice, and the actual doing. Eventually, something shifted into place. I got it and realized on another level that as an onion, the first step is to start with the top layer, and to keep peeling through visualization, through emotional freedom techniques (tapping), through intention, through coaching, through determination, through the universe system-it all came together as if I were a magician and finally figured out the alchemical recipe for my own self mastery.

Persuasion is a process. I, by no means, have mastered this body of knowledge. It would be egotistical and arrogant to believe that. It would also make me feel quite sad. Frankly, I love to strive for the goal of the highest I can achieve, but the real vibrancy in life comes from constantly evolving and growing.