Life Lesson

Infinite Positivity

Garth Beyer

A possible 5,000 word post cut down to three statements about being infinitely positive.

1. you must use your imagination.

2. you must have an open mind.

3. you must experience fearlessness.

 

Stay Positive & Interpret How You Wish

Garth E. Beyer

Shutting Fear Out … In New York

Shutting Fear Out … In New York

Garth Beyer
We may have liberty, but we still have a lizard brain

Who has heard about the lizard brain? No one? Well I’ll have to change that.

The lizard brain is what makes us not do what we say we are going to do. It’s what stops us from checking tasks off our to-do list, it stops us from writing the book we want, stops us from sending that application in, it stops us from living a meaningful, adventurous, exciting life. The lizard brain can also be referred to as the Amygdala, the part of our brain which registers fear. This fear has a voice and it tells us to compromise, to play it safe, to stay where we are comfortable. This reference to the lizard brain was coined by Seth Godin, author, marketer, and revolutionary starter.

During this mass media age, I believe Seth Godin to be one of the most insightful and helpful authors to us digital natives. Seth Godin has written more than 14 books that have all been best sellers and translated into over 30 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything. Even if a five-mile wide meteor struck the earth today, you could still say that Seth Godin has made a larger impact on society.

You may think this author is important because you imagine him to be the motivating type. He is no more motivating than a rock. He is however a person who can bring you to understand why you do what you do, rather, why you don’t do what you don’t do. He explains in his most infamous book, Linchpin¸how the closer you get to delivering something, to accomplishment, to taking a risk, the harder the lizard brain works to stop you.  This ability, to make us aware, is what makes Seth Godin so important.

If it’s not clear already, Seth is an idol of mine. Heck, I flew out to New York to see him and wrote about that experience here. Seth has taught me how to build a tribe, inspired me to keep shipping, and has helped me realize the inner workings of my brain and ego in such a simplistic manner. I continue to read his books and build off his ideas and will do my absolute best to get a one-on-one interview with him over the holidays because I am planning a trip to NYC. I truly owe it to Seth for getting me to where I am today. (HT to Seth Godin)

Side note: If anyone has someone they can introduce me to through email/phone/person that either lives in New York or has other contacts in New York, I would greatly appreciate it. I plan on spending the summer in New York to find an opportunity to become more of a writer and to connect with some of the most brilliant minded people. Michelle being one of them, she’s something special! Thank you!

 

Stay Positive & People Help People, Who Help People, Who Help Other People, Who Help More People …

Garth E. Beyer

Ignore A Pool Of Your Customers

Garth Beyer

No! Wait! Don’t do that! You’ll lose your business unless you accommodate their desires!

NOT

When you ignore your customers, you make their experience a memory they want to share. Take for instance every single local or hotel pool.

I have been in a myriad of pools in my lifetime, all of which were cold. I can’t recall one pool that was room temperature or warm, it was always chilly to where you need to keep moving to counter the freezing temperature. I’m positive that plenty of people have complained to hotel services and management that the pools should be warmer or at least more bearable. Why have they all refused our demands? Because a cold pool makes it an experience, a wickedly fun one.

Don’t tell me that after you touch your toes in the water and realize that the water is freezing – of course it is! – that you don’t lie to your friend or parent saying that the water is warm and to jump right in. For some psychological reason, the cold water feels even more cold when you jump in thinking it’s warm. What a laugh you get! Okay, okay, back on topic.

What would happen if every hotel pool raised its temperatures and made it a manageable temperature: no shivers, no rushing for a towel once you exit, no need to keep swimming just to prevent yourself from freezing. Sure, it may be a bit more relaxing, but it surely wouldn’t be fun. Imagine it. “Hey, jump in the water first, its warm!” – the person jumps in – “Yes, it is.” What a memorable experience! (sarcasm)

As it is with hotel swimming pools, every business needs something that creates a buzz, an experience, something that people talk about, remember, but also complains about. What does this mean to you? People complain a lot more than they talk about a positive experience and if you can give them something to complain about that goes right along with a positive experience, you have something truly remarkable, truly worth talking about; it’s about adding the complaint to their pool of experience.

 

Stay Positive & I Flat Out Thought This Was Awesome: Fake Swimming Pool

Garth E. Beyer

Happy 114th Birthday H. A. Rey!

Garth Beyer
Curious?

H. A. Rey, if you can’t guess from the picture, is the author and illustrator of the children’s book Curious George. Today we are celebrating his 114th birthday! Most people dream about living to 100, let alone, past 100. H. A. Rey has done it.

Let’s think about George for a moment, we can learn a lot from the stories. For instance, there are a lot of questions, and specific questions at that! The books – through George – also continuously preach that it is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission; a trait often attributed to the successful risk-takers of the world. But wait, we are not celebrating George’s birthday, we’re celebrating his creator’s.

You’re obviously not falling for the idea that H. A. Rey is 114-years-old. No. You know, as well as I, – if you haven’t Googled it already – that H. A. Rey died 35 years ago! This act of celebrating someones birthday, long after they have passed, is indicative of a legacy.

Rey had focused on creating something that would be remembered long after his death. That is what sets him apart from thousands of other children’s book authors and illustrators, no matter how successful any of them may have been or are now. To create a legacy like that of H. A. Rey, you need to know what legacy you want and use that as your focus point for creation. While you may have a dozen books published or be taking in an annual 1.2 million, if you truly want to know your degree of success, ask yourself the type of question used on every second page of the book; a question that intrigues you and encourages you to turn the page and keep moving forward.

When you die, will your work be remembered?

 

Stay Positive & Everyone Dies, But Your Work Doesn’t Have To

Garth E. Beyer

I’m A Writer

Garth Beyer

Oh heavens above does this feel good. I’ve been writing or researching for my writings for nearly 10 hours now. It’s three hours from midnight and I am still going. This feeling of being what I have always wanted to be excites my emotions and makes me want to assist others in feeling the same. You ask what it takes, I say it takes time (clearly) and effort (even more clearly). You ask how? Well that is what I want to work with you on. Email me: thegarthbox@gmail.com