I Am An Onion: Layers of Complexity in Persuasion and Life

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.

Many of my students in recent months have shown tremendous growth spurts in their lives by applying persuasion techniques not just to their business and sales, as they are mainly geared in my programs, but to every single facet of their lives–personal, public and business.

I was speaking with one of my students, an adviser who is becoming more and more successful in business and he was telling me how happy he was that these skills not only affected him and his career, but they mean so much in other ways. He stopped smoking and some other very positive family things have taken place as a result of these techniques.

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.

It’s like they say, you peel away the layers of the onion and you just keep peeling. In my case, I peeled away layers of unnecessary fat and found something else that needs to be remedied, a hernia. I’m able to do help myself even further.

Using the onion as a metaphor for our lives helps us begin to understand the power of our unconscious drives and the motivations in our lives. My focus on persuasion has come to a fine point in recent months. I have laser pointed my intent toward persuading the affluent. With the results my clients/students have been getting I completely understand that the big picture is of utmost importance. We are our own first persuasion project, when you think about it. As we learn to influence ourselves, we are on the path to being able to persuade others powerfully.

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 clicked. I got it. I understood on another level that as an onion, the first step is to peel away the skin, and to keep peeling through visualization, through 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.

About the Author: Kenrick Cleveland

Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of wealthy clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques.