Defining Success in Yourself hen I think of discussing inspiration and how it relates to success, I become immediately impassioned! When I was asked about this topic, in my exuberance I blurted out, “Inspiration serves as the genesis of all success.” Sounds good, right? Makes sense. As the author of three books, two of which tackle the subject of success and motivation (Success Factor X and Way of the COBRA), it seems reasonable that my perspective should merit some gravity. However, those words rolled out of my mouth with a little too much immediacy rather than thoughtful contemplation. Dare I say bordering on glibness. I began to give some serious thought to what I had said. While I do believe that inspiration is, in fact, the genesis of success, I needed to take a serious look at how I arrived at that belief. My contemplation brought me back to my childhood in a small blue-collar town in western Pennsylvania. As a young boy, I was overweight and painfully insecure. Both of which made me a target for bullies. The psychic scars from years of physical and emotional abuse have taken a lifetime to heal. Repetitive daily taunts, insults, and attacks were targeted at my appearance and for being Jewish. This was devastating to my self-esteem. Yet through all that pain and anguish, I eventually began to shift, and something beautiful took root. A sense of defiance was born. The legion of haters who were shouting out that I would never achieve success unintentionally inspired a relentless strength to start building inside of me. That humiliation built an inferno that still burns to this day.
SEAN KANAN
A RT & EN T ERTA I N ME NT
This newfound inspiration created the foundation for my WHY. What is a WHY and why does it play such a critical role in determining our success? Your WHY serves as the driving force that propels you to accomplish your goals. It’s that energy that gets you out of bed at five in the morning, full of passion, waiting to conquer the day. It’s what picks you up off the ground when you’ve been knocked down. When the going gets tough—and believe me, it will—your WHY will remind you in the darkest hours why you must continue the struggle to succeed.
Two types of inspiration exist. The first moves you away from something that you do not want. In my case, it was the mental image of a scared young boy unable to fend for himself. Years of training in a martial arts dojo hardened my body, built my confidence, and ultimately allowed the man I am today to emerge. It has taken many more years to finally accept and make peace with that scared young boy, my inner child. The second type of inspiration moves us towards something. Since I was a teenager, I knew that I wanted to become an actor and there was a life waiting for me beyond the horizon of my
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I N S P I RE D S U CC E SS MAGAZINE | SP RING/ SUMME R 2022
Photo by Gilles Toucas
Having a tangible representation of your WHY is a powerful tool. It can be anything from a tattoo to a photo to a promise you have made. My wedding ring serves as my WHY. It functions as a constant and reassuring reminder of my commitment to my wife, Michele, and the love I feel for her. Whenever life momentarily appears overwhelming, all I need to do is glance down to my left hand, and I am immediately reminded of why I do what I do. I never want to see buyer’s remorse in her beautiful brown eyes. I never want to see a glimmer of disappointment that implies I am not living up to my potential.
