a spiritual lesson from MadMen

Hi!

So last night, I planned to watch one re-run of MadMen, Season 4 that I found at the library as a treat. Even though I’ve seen every single episode and have watched it religiously as much as I did Sex and the City in its heyday, I sat mesmerized through three hours last night like I had never seen the show before! eeek!!! so much for going to bed early and turning off electronics by 10pm.

If you aren’t familiar with the show, it’s about the advertising agency culture in the 1960’s starring the super hot Jon Hamm as the creative director. But I digress…

One scene in particular struck me. 

It relates to the idea of success + your comfort zone…

Two men from Jantzen are trying to figure out how to sell their two-piece bathing suits in a “wholesome” way and stop getting trampled by their competitors who are using sex and showing a lot of skin and very little bikini to outsell them. 

Don Draper (hot Jon Hamm) comes up with a killer idea that they reject because it’s an ad of a woman in their two-piece having fun with a giant piece of tape across her boobs that says, “So well built, we can’t even show you the second floor.” 

It’s classy but also suggestive without being trashy and basically a step beyond their comfort zone but still very much aligned with the type of woman who would be buying the Jantzen suit. But the two men just keep saying, “I don’t know what we want but it’s not THAT! We’re a family company Don! Our people don’t want to see that.” 

And Don exasperated says, “You want a few women running around on a beach tossing a beach ball back and forth? (They nod, finally excited that he sees their point) ….

“You can either be comfortable and dead in the business within the year…or a little more risky… and potentially very rich.”

In the end, he kicks them out of his office and tells them never to come back. He refuses to work with people who are so stuck in their comfort zone they can’t think outside of it. Want to see it?

How does this apply to you?

This doesn’t just apply to business. Substitute the word “rich” for “happy, fulfilled, on fire about your life.” It’s irrelevant.

For example…to magnetize the type of relationship you really want where you are respected and loved and free to be you, or the type of lifestyle you want that gives you more time to do the things you love…requires that you do some internal weeding.

What are some thoughts, patterns, behaviors, assumptions that have become part of your story so much that you just don’t question them anymore even though they aren’t getting you closer to where you want to be?

In relationships, this could look like…
“All the good men are taken. 
Online dating didn’t work for me before, so I’m not going to do that again. 
There’s something wrong with me-so I’ll just go out with men that are emotionally unavailable and can’t commit because at least then they won’t have to deal with me…or leave…and it goes on!

Whenever you find yourself using phrases like…”I never…X always…..must..should…”, recognize that you are in your comfort zone and blocking yourself from seeing new opportunities that want to come to you!

If it’s working for you, okay! Keep on keep on.

But if you sense that there’s something you would like to create in your life that feels out of reach for whatever reason, consider that it’s going to require you to move the needle at least one step past comfortable.

You don’t have to push the envelope and go so far in the other direction because your subconscious may freak out too much and then you could sabotage your efforts.

All you have to do is move the needle one.step. beyond where you normally go.

In your mind.

In your actions.

In your daily habits.

Just one step beyond.

Maybe it’s picking up the phone to talk to someone instead of texting all the time.

Maybe it’s putting yourself back on Match.com or another dating app or site and doing a ritual to let go of all the crappy past experiences you had on it before.

Maybe it’s inviting that person out to lunch or to do business with you.

Or it could even be to change up your morning spiritual routine that has gotten stale and dusty.

What does “moving the needle one step beyond” look like for you?

Are you willing to act on that this week?

Remember: you don’t have to know the whole song. just be willing to change the melody one note and notice what happens.

Have an amazing week and have some time + want to watch the YouTube clip of the scene I described? Click here!

Love,
Diana