Chaos and Insanity = Brilliance

My friend Cyndi sent me a quote once that stated how brilliance (the light you leave behind)manifests itself after much chaos and insanity.  It is an inspiring thought, but maybe like you I’m not the biggest fan of the chaos and insanity part.

Fortunately, I picked up perseverance and have been blessed to see good results from letting the "winds" have their way.  I’m humbled and thankful beyond my greatest expectations.  That makes it worthwhile, by the way.

I am convinced that world is not as brilliant as it could be because many will not endure the chaos and insanity.  We’ve been deceived by the snake oil salesmen who tell us we should be afraid, very afraid.

Find your Destiny and you’ll discover that paying the price does not require counting the cost.

An Inconvenient Truth-Really

Having trouble in life and/or career? 

Think about the following:

  • Trouble is like fire in the furnace that removes impurities from gold-your gold.
  • Trouble is like a plow to soil being prepared for seed planting-seeds of a great life.
  • Trouble is like an inconvenient truth haunting you to move out of what’s familiar and comfortable.
  • Trouble and pain are relatives, and they both are megaphones for a deaf world (thanks to C.S. Lewis for that analogy).
  • Trouble is like a laser in a master surgeon’s hands that focuses exactly where the need is.
  • Trouble should move you to ask for help.
  • Trouble is like the rainstorm that precedes the sun and rainbow.

Advice for Those in Sales

If you’re still in sales (you make your living by what revenue you bring in for the organization) and haven’t moved into creating lasting value, then this post is for you.

Here are my suggestions for salespeople in our age of constant change:

  1. Stop thinking about yourself.  If you didn’t notice, it shows.  Your prospective and existing customers want you to think about them.
  2. Stop assuming that your doing me a favor by introducing your product/service to me.  Arrogance has only one reward-NO.
  3. If you are not creating real value (the customer defines this, not you), then start.  You find out by asking.  Knowledge flows when you do that.
  4. Make your customer a priority.  That means responding to their emails or phone calls on the same day they send/call.  When a customer doesn’t feel like a priority they leave.
  5. If you’re with a company that sees customers as a means-to-an-end, leave.  Customers will breathe a sigh of relief that they won’t have to deal with being treated like cattle.
  6. Learn the art of subtlety.  Listen to Puccini or have a glass of 2000 Barolo as a start.
  7. Stop seeing yourself as a salesperson.  Customers are tired of being sold.

We need more people willing to be striking and brilliant in the discipline of creating value, while generating revenue.  Anything less is robbery.

Genius

The power of genius comes when you realize that you must reinvent.  Maybe all these tough times come to prepare you for the next lifetime.

Your lifetime is made up of multiple lifetimes.

The Art of Listening

The April 25 Epic Living Hour radio show will focus on the art of listening.  I’ve found that listening is a key that unlocks places you’ve never imagined you’d have access to.  I’m not talking about everything profound, but the things that form your legacy.  For example, listening to a 7 year-old child who wants to tell you about the wonder of swimming in the summertime.  I had that opportunity yesterday, and I’m glad I listened. 

It also has to do with your career/business life.  Are you catching all that you should?  Is your hearing blocked by your focus on the material at-hand?  Is something or someone seeking your attention (full)?  Have you started to reinvent yourself today?

Diamonds (the most valuable things in life and work) will not scream for your fancy.  Diamonds are subtle and beautiful all at the same time.  You must listen to find them.  Tune in tomorrow at 12:30 PM EDT to learn more.  Details can be found here.

The below scene from The Legend of Bagger Vance will give you some further context (pay close attention to the part with Bobby Jones).

Waterfalls and Hideaways

Got a chance to getaway last week to a place I’d never been before.  It’s an area called Hocking Hills (southeastern Ohio).  I new it was a great trip, because when I got back to our city everything looked different.  I’m beginning to believe that a getaway/hideaway is measured by how the familiar appears upon returning.  Photos are below.

                                                                            

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Why We Follow the Leader

In America we are in the midst of an election cycle that’s interesting to say the least.  The following is from an article I wrote last November.  I believe sets an appropriate tone.

I’m always fascinated by how leaders (good and bad) use words to get people to follow. It’s a very powerful reality when you think about it. What’s critical is why a leader wants you to follow. Often it is not the subject (global warming, quarterly profits, keeping a relationship going, etc.) at hand. Sometimes the leader will use certain words to connect with what motivates you. Sometimes the leader will only use words that they think you want to hear. Bad news is never far behind words used to please your itching ears. For example; “The plant is still viable and no shut-down is in the foreseeable future.”

Leaders and followers have one thing in common; both tend to wear masks. No where is this more prevalent than in the corporate landscape. When you have that much power and money floating around, you might as well call it a Greek Tragedy.  Some masks are used to hide scars that have been inside for years, while others are used to deceive. Regardless of the intent, masks are not a good thing.

Consider former Vice President Al Gore. Why does he want you to follow him on his crusade to save the planet? He has stated that it’s about the spiritual and the moral. Maybe it is…maybe it is something completely different. In a recent article on CNN/Money.com, Mr. Gore said it’s the single most important thing we (citizens of planet earth I guess) should be focusing on. You may agree or disagree, but you can’t deny the power behind the words he uses.

One of the greatest hungers plaguing us today is our desire for authenticity. We’ve become suspicious because we’ve been sold the bill of goods more times than we care to remember. Some have followed the road of cynicism, while others are still looking for this elusive bird.
No human becoming can know for sure what sits inside of another person’s heart (good reason not to be in the judgment business). So why not do some deeper looking before you decide to follow.

Here are some tips to act on:

• Ask the leader/leaders a lot of why questions. For example; "Why do you want this event/outcome to occur?" Then follow up with a why question to their answer. If the leader seems put off or disturbed (watch their eyes on this one), it might be a sign of insincerity.
• Don’t follow someone/something for fame and fortune. Those who do things for those two reasons are dwelling in the Land of Fake.
• Make sure your values/motives line up with the cause or leader.
• Look at the company the leader keeps. If they hang with devil, they normally will act like him.
• Seek the advice of someone who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth. What they say may hurt, but it could keep you from going over a cliff.
• Watch the body language. For example, observe the blinking of the eyes. If the leader blinks at a high rate, he or she might not be fully committed to what their speaking of.