I Am Not a Groupie

Many will tell you of the male teachers they love and follow such as Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Deepak Chopra, listen to their stories, each have valuable lessons to share.  And then listen to teachers such as Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Dalai Lama, Eckhart Tolle and my favorite Byron Katie, notice the differences? (Latter have no need for ego identification.)

I do not measure the person's message as it relates to me based on their financial success.  Anyone can sell you a book or system if he/she is an enthusiastic salesman.  I am a hard sell, I am a doubting Thomas, I need to believe with the mind I was born with, and I will never follow anyone or any religion blindly. I need to connect with you.

I like people who relate to everyone... People who do not need to bring up their academic titles, their sundry accomplishments, the people they admire for this achievement and that achievement, people who show you pictures of where they have traveled or the big house they live in, the big boat they own, (MLM conventions are full of these) people who mention the names of other big names they have had the great privilege of spending time with on that island or that yacht, this immediately feeds the ego of the speaker and places them in a position we all cannot/do not/may not relate to. (And quite frankly who among the rest of us cares?  Nada.)

If you have a message for us all, deliver it, help us in that, leave the name dropping, personal ego boosting to your cocktail parties of friends that are impressed by you and your acquaintances. 

Some people in the public eye besides the above mentioned I like for their down to earth connection... Ellen Degeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Michele Obama, Melania Trump...I don't have to agree with their political or even general points of view about everything but their unpretentious manner of presenting themselves to the world, no arrogance in presentation, no ego, is engaging to listen to.

And I'm not talking about being a genuine person, because you may genuinely be pretentious...most people are drawn to salt of the earth people who do not need to be addressed by a title, or have their accomplishments listed to feel respected or accepted. The Dalai Lama, Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie do this masterfully.

Males in particular need to really work at keeping their braggadocio, sensational antics, flamboyance, to a minimum. (Pride and arrogance is not unique to men, women do it too.) If it is not needed to deliver your story, please spare us.  And those who say "It's not bragging if it's true." Phooey it is bragging no matter how you try to excuse it.

If you are a teacher, teach. I may be wrong but I think most people are NOT groupies? I believe most people like down to earth speakers?  What do you think?