
Quiet Clarity is a 2x/week newsletter and podcast for people who want to build a life of presence, depth, and deliberate intention.
You ever notice how your inner mess becomes your outer reality?
That insecurity that sabotages the perfect hire.
The people-pleasing that lets standards slip.
That ego that pushes away exactly what you need.
But you keep pretending.
You keep playing the "nice" leader.
You keep avoiding the hard conversations.
You keep wondering why your business feels stuck.
So what if the spiritual work IS the business work?
Where It Showed Up in My Life
I was on a call with a potential contractor who knew more than me about their specific role.
This should've been perfect, right? Exactly what you want when hiring.
But my ego went into full panic mode.
See, back then I was building my business for all the wrong reasons. I just wanted to prove to my friends that I was successful. That I'd "made it."
So when someone more knowledgeable showed up, my insecurities flared like a five-alarm fire.
What if they figure out I'm an imposter? What if they think I'm not qualified to lead them? What if they see through my whole act?
I'd get defensive. Make the conversation weird. Find reasons why they "weren't a good fit."
And you know what happened?
I rejected incredible people who could've transformed my business.
All because my ego couldn't handle not being the smartest person in the room.
What the Wisdom Reveals
This brings me to a story about the Zen master Ikkyu and his calligraphy student.
The student had been practicing for months, but his characters were still shaky and uncertain. Every stroke revealed his inner turmoil - sometimes aggressive, sometimes timid, never balanced.
One day, frustrated, he asked Ikkyu: "Master, I practice daily but my calligraphy doesn't improve. What technique am I missing?"
Ikkyu smiled and picked up the brush.
"Watch closely," he said.
But instead of demonstrating a technique, Ikkyu simply sat in stillness. For several minutes, he did nothing but breathe. The student grew impatient, but waited.
Finally, Ikkyu dipped the brush and created a single character with such fluid grace it seemed to appear by itself.
The student was amazed. "What technique was that?"
"No technique," Ikkyu replied. "When the mind is clear, the hand follows. When the mind is clouded, even perfect technique produces ugly characters."
He continued: "Your calligraphy is shaky because your mind is shaky. You write with ego - trying to impress, fearing judgment. How can the brush be steady when the one holding it trembles inside?"
The student protested: "But I need to improve my strokes!"
Ikkyu shook his head.
"A tree with rotten roots cannot bear good fruit, no matter how much you polish the leaves. First, make your mind like still water. Then whatever you touch will reflect that stillness."
From that day, the student stopped practicing calligraphy and started practicing himself. He meditated. He observed his ego. He found his center.
When he returned to the brush months later, his characters flowed like water.
Not because his technique improved. Because he did.
How I'm Trying to Live Now
What if every business problem is actually an inner problem in disguise?
I started working on myself with the same intensity I worked on my business.
First, I noticed how much time I spent replaying scenarios in my head. Now when I see someone underperform, I don't wait weeks building up stories. I give feedback immediately, from a place of calm clarity.
I stopped seeing successful people as "above" me and started reaching out to entrepreneurs, mentors, even competitors. Turns out they're just humans too, figuring it out like everyone else.
I learned to delegate anything someone can do 80% as well as me, which freed me to focus on what actually moves the needle.
Most importantly, I discovered the difference between being nice and being clear.
Remember that team member who kept missing deadlines?
One day, after another broken promise, I finally got direct:
"Here's exactly what you're doing wrong. Here's why it's affecting the whole team. Here's what happens if it continues."
It felt harsh compared to my old style. But something interesting happened - they thanked me. They'd been waiting for someone to be straight with them.
That's when I realized: Clarity is kindness. Vagueness is cruelty.
Now I run my business with this understanding:
High standards start with me
My inner state creates my outer results
Ego-driven leadership repels talent
Clarity comes from calmness, not control
You know those moments when your business mirrors your inner world perfectly?
When you're scattered inside and your team is chaotic.
When you're clear inside and everything flows.
When you're insecure and you attract unreliable people.
When you're confident and A-players appear.
Those aren't coincidences. They're reflections.
Your business is just your consciousness with a bank account.
And here's the beautiful part: We still have fun. Most of our team calls involve joking around, especially me teasing my brother. But when standards slip, we switch to serious mode instantly.
No mixed signals. No confusion. Fun when it's time for fun. Serious when it's time for standards. Both coming from the same centered place.
So try this:
Look at your biggest business challenge right now.
Then ask: "What part of me is creating this?"
Is it ego blocking the perfect hire? Fear avoiding the hard conversation? Insecurity lowering your standards?
Don't try to fix the business problem yet. Fix the inner problem first.
Because Ikkyu was right:
Polish the leaves all you want. But if the roots are rotten, the fruit will always reflect it.
