Much discussion in my country right now about wealth and its creation. I'm for the new type of wealth creation. A type of creation that makes you rich beyond your dreams. Sadly, we seem to be fixated on material wealth. As if material wealth could really solve our deepest problems and desires.
You should create wealth in the following areas:
Don't believe the hype from marketers and politicians. Those in the "wealthy one-percent" often have a true wealth index at or below the poverty line. Look at the wheel again and ask yourself what kind of wealth do you really want to create.
What if we awoke to a world where you had no choice but to be authentic? A flood causing your authenticity, or the lack thereof, to be easily detected by those coming in contact with you. This would have scared me to death 10 years ago. Thankfully, not the case now.
I'm struck by how much time can be spent getting back our identity from a world that seems bent on taking and counterfeiting it. Even more tragic are those who never get it back or care to attempt the feat. It's as if there's a daunting figure who scares you into giving up dreaming, giving up taking a chance, giving up the willingness to be laughed at. And then you're convinced to take the position pill of safety and conformity.
The following concert clip is from Peter Gabriel. I don't know if he ever confirmed it, but I've read that the song is about a major shift in our ability to see the authenticity in other people. And instead of me trying to explain in a half way, take a peak at the clip or read the lyrics below the video:
When the night shows the signals grow on radios All the strange things they come and go, as early warnings Stranded starfish have no place to hide still waiting for the swollen Easter tide There's no point in direction we cannot even choose a side.
I took the old track the hollow shoulder, across the waters On the tall cliffs they were getting older, sons and daughters The jaded underworld was riding high Waves of steel hurled metal at the sky and as the nail sunk in the cloud, the rain was warm and soaked the crowd.
Lord, here comes the flood We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood If again the seas are silent in any still alive It'll be those who gave their island to survive Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.
When the flood calls You have no home, you have no walls In the thunder crash You're a thousand minds, within a flash Don't be afraid to cry at what you see The actors gone, there's only you and me And if we break before the dawn, they'll use up what we used to be.
Lord, here comes the flood We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood If again the seas are silent in any still alive It'll be those who gave their island to survive Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.
There is no doubt, the only way you're going to have a life worth remembering is getting to (or back to) a place of being "real." For whatever hell you encounter in doing it, worth the effort is an apt response to that crossroads. My prayer and energy goes out to you.
Worth the re-post and the insights Marc gives on the Take Time for Your Life experience. If you haven't registered for our live event on October 27 yet, you can do so here.
The need for solving problems seems so obvious in our current environment. But I'm amazed how far away that concept is for many. Whether it's the job hunter or the board member of a non-profit, it seems like the idea of solving problems is rather foreign. Now, I know we talk a lot about solving problems, but I'm referring to the talking and the doing. I know this is hard to do in my country. We've gotten a little soft on real problem solving. Many are still operating as if we were still in the industrial age.
There needs to be a changing of the lens we use. So put on a different pair of glasses and build the habit of being a problem solver. You'll be glad you did, and so will the people and organizations waiting for your solutions.
I shouln't be surprised that we've come to the point where a segment of the marketing universe is coaching "authentic." Yes, authenticity is now being taught. I guess it's a new business opportunity to reform the fake. Judging by this piece from the New York Times, many are jumping on the bandwagon. But in your gut, you're probably not surprised.
If you're someone who is learning how to express yourself in a way that fits who you are or you are someone who's going through the process of reinvention due to job loss, then I get what you're doing and this post is not meant to rub you the wrong way.
The idea of advisment around authenticity comes from a motivation to build trust. A trust to buy. What many businesses forget is people don't trust because those same businesses would rather make a sale than make a long-term relationship. In a long-term relationship there is a blend of give and take, good and bad, yes and no, you get my point. From what I see most don't have the desire or stamina to deal with that. Ironically, I don't know many people who want a one-sided (always in the favor of the business/provider) engagement as a customer or a human being.
What are we doing? I mean really, is authenticity something that we need to coach? If it is, then here's my authentic recipe/contribution to those who Really want to be more authentic:
Find out why you're here (Planet Earth).
Define what you value most and give unwavering allegiance to those things.
Manage happiness and performance on a daily basis. It's worth your time.
Consistently seek to get better through planning and goal setting.
Tell other people what you've found and are doing.
I never became self-employed because of some ache to be my own boss or the next producer of a killer app. Far from it, I had a mission and corporate America had no interest or desire to fund it.
Most people I know who are great at entrepreneur pursuits have a mission. I mean they have this burning in them that won't go away. Even after trying to kill it, they continue onto the unknown, scary and sometimes insane world that is the mission.
So in the end self-employment is merely a vehicle.
This past week two big things came down the pike for me. First, Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO of Apple and Andy Frank thanked me for some unintentional advice. Andy's thank you was the bigger of the two. Andy is working on his "thing" and was lamenting the process of incorporating. I told him that only a mission could make it worth the price paid. It was like holding up a mirror to my own face. A gut check with gusto.
I am on a mission.
For clarity, let me explain my thoughts on the difference between the idea and the reality of self-employment:
Everyone's self-employed. The gal working at the bank, the guy serving the latte and the partners waiting for their first round of funding. If you haven't noticed we live in a self-directed world. It's scary ironic that more don't get this.
What you do for money can and will vary. The world of going to one place and doing one job are gone. It's our freaking obsession with comfort that has us unwilling to give up that life. Our work and life will morph and contract in different ways. This is especially true in an ever-changing global economy.
Infatuation with output is killing us. We see the car, the press release on the millions in funding and we want it! Funny how we choose to ignore the near-collapse experiences of most entrepreneurs. Quite frankly, I don't think I could trust someone who hasn't lost big. Losing big is, or should be, a refining fire.
Self-employment should produce humility. That's all that needs to be said.
Our (America) economic woes would be lessened, if not cured, by putting more emphasis on helping entrepreneurs versus the bloated manipulators. Ever notice how many of the big boys manipulate things like lay-offs, write-offs and revenue to produce a shiny result for a group of people they hate. That's not growth, that's Vegas.
