Author: Garth Beyer

Businesses right and left are beginning to go to sleep. Some permanently. Some temporarily. Some might be open, but are simply existing to exist, which is really another form of sleeping.

Here’s the reality of the sleepers. They might make it out on the other end the same as businesses that are acting on the current situation. Maybe.

But it doesn’t really matter, does it?

What matters is that if you’re open for business then you’re acting on it. Pivoting how you can. Continuing to connect with your tribe and your community in new ways. Advertising. Contributing. Owning it.

Stay Positive & Don’t Sleep On It

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If you focus and take action long enough toward the result you want, you’ll get it.

It might require you to take different actions than you thought you would.

It might require you to be subject to criticism for the actions you take to get the result.

It might require you to hold out through dip after dip, but you’ll get there.

Stay Positive & Keep At It

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The fear. Tension. Uncertainty.

It’s going to be there, and the smartest move you can make is not to try to make it disappear.

Those emotions can’t be willed away. No amount of reassurance can do it, either.

But they can be danced with. Acknowledged and appreciated because they are indicators that something meaningful is at work.

Stay Positive & The Fear Is A GOOD Thing

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A writer who applied for a copywriting position asked me what would be better to showcase in their portfolio, writing for medium A or writing for medium B.

No surprise, my answer was both.

In an effort to do the best by a client; we often decide on the better of two ideas. Two ideas, that, if both shared, there’s a chance both may be funded.

In trying to appeal the most to a customer, we can add this surprise element into the purchase journey or we can add that surprise element.

Though, putting both is will likely get the product talked about even more.

By all means, if one idea is a bad one. Lose it.

But if you’ve got two great ones…

Stay Positive & Double Whammy

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Why is it the speaker’s responsibility to give a talk that’s remembered?

Why is it up to the show writers to ensure every episode gets talked about?

Why is it the impact the author has from her novel and not the impact of the reader who consumed it?

Imagine the value we could add in our world if we tried to be remembered as the attendee, viewer and consumer.

Speaking up to ask questions. Challenging assumptions. Offering suggestions for improvements. Acting on the knowledge we learn.

Stay Positive & Time To Become An Active Spectator

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A dash of salt & pepper in a dish can’t really harm it.

Either it goes unnoticed and you’re only out of a dash of salt and pepper.

Or it elevates the meal that extra bit, making it better than expected.

Same goes for the work we do and the people we interact with.

Of course, we call it surprise & delight then.

Stay Positive & Nothing To Lose, Only To Gain

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Control is dependent on the story we tell ourselves.

We can believe that we can control our culture or not. We can believe we can control what time we wake up or not. We can tell ourselves different stories about promotions at work – whether it’s in or out of our control.

My two cents: Make it out of your control when it benefits.

You can set an alarm on your phone and believe it’s out of your control to turn it off. You can say it’s out of your control to sit back and do nothing to improve our culture. You can tell the story of getting a promotion by helping other people more often.

It’s all in our control, one way or another, unless we believe it’s not.

Stay Positive & Take Control When It Benefits

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