Life Lesson

You’re not the only one with the question in the room. That’s why we’re never annoyed when someone speaks up. In reality, they’re speaking up for all of us, not just themselves.

You’re not the only one who is treated the same way by that one person. That’s why there’s no greater sense of relief when a person rants about the mistreatment. The mistreatment might go on, but knowing we’re not the only one getting it makes it miraculously better-received.

You’re not the only one who someone has told your idea won’t work. That’s why we’re (wrongly) ecstatic when people show up for the ribbon cutting … even the critics.

Chances are likely that you’re not the only one to feel that way …

… wish that thing …

… or hope for that outcome.

Stay Positive & There Are More Than You’d Believe

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It’s my understanding that more often than not, you already know the answer to the question you’re asking.

A question is a great way to seek out reassurance and to keep fear at bay.

A question is a great way to offer up the accountability of a decision to someone else.

A question is a beautiful way the brain rationalizes not doing what your gut is telling you to do.

Stay Positive & Fewer Questions, More Action

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When you do something truly cutting edge, new, endearing and risky … they’ll say you’re out of your mind.

When you take the leap it takes to do something remarkable … they’ll call you a fool.

When you follow your heart, despite your closest friends telling you that you’re wrong … they’ll call you an idiot.

Of course, they’ll only say those things at first.

Stay Positive & Keep Going

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A lot changes when we close our eyes.

Closed eyes means we can’t see the reaction of others.

Closed eyes means we don’t actually know what’s in front of us, even if all our other senses provide the information to guess correctly.

Closed eyes means we can’t be distracted by shiny objects.

If you’re feeling stuck with a project, it might be worth closing your eyes for a bit.

Stay Positive & Some Tricks Do Wonders

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You can write out or sketch what you think the final product will be.

You can design a well-thought out mockup of the end result.

You can fill out the template to see what the real deal will look like.

You can publish a demo to interact with the a finished version.

Every action makes it seem like you’re taking the step to verify the work meets spec and has the intended impact, but each action has a different layer of proximity to the real thing.

Sometimes you can skip the first three steps to go straight to a demo version, but rarely will it work in your favor to forgo the fourth step and launch from step one, two or three.

Better to put in the time, effort, and attention to ensure your project launches as you hope.

Stay Positive & It’s More Than A Protype, It’s Best Practice

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A bad idea is a matter of perspective. Certainly a bad idea is a good idea compared to no ideas at all. And, creating a lot of bad ideas is almost certain to guarantee a great idea. It’s a numbers game.

The reason it’s a numbers game, though, is that the fewer ideas you share, the less likely you’ll produce a great idea. The bad ideas add up and block the door unless you let them out.

You have to go down the path of sharing bad ideas if you ever want to let the good ones to show.

Stay Positive & More Bad Ideas, Please

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Great harm is done when we alienate a story people want to tell themselves.

If we removed tipping in America, we remove the stories people tell themselves about status, about gifting, about intrinsically feeling good. (We tip 20% because it’s worth 25% to us.)

When we support bars that have automatic dispensers with a pay-as-you-go system and only one staff member to check IDs at the door, we eliminate the stories people tell themselves about connection, about having a place to vent to someone willing to listen, about being part of a community.

We have to be careful what we remove in the effort to become remarkable. Doing so can alienate a lot of stories and, by extension, a lot of customers.

Better to err on the side of allowing people to have more stories to tell. To curate an experience that can benefit the status seekers, community seekers, and the philanthropic seekers.

Any change in the number of stories you help people tell, whether + or -, can make the news, but no one likes to only tell themselves one story.

One story is quickly forgotten. More stories, carefully designed, is better.

Stay Positive & What Stories Are Your Customers Telling Themselves?

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