GarthBox

Every room we walk in, every word we write, every interaction we have, we also have the responsibility of setting the tone around it.

The energy we bring into the work or the meeting is why people show up (on time).

When we authentically show up, as only we can, the attitude of others shifts because they feel comfortable, a sense of belonging, if you can be yourself, then they can be themselves.

Not only does the tone matter, the responsibility to set it is always there.

Always.

Stay Positive & Monitor The Tone

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Being realistic backs you into a corner you can’t do remarkable work from or engage with others in a meaningful way.

Many use realism as a way to hide from big ideas, from things that might not work.

Realistically speaking, we could always be more realistic. We could hide more, undersell the idea further and cut things entirely.

The alternative is to bring bigger, bolder ideas that carry an energy of determination, optimism and passion.

Better to err on the side of more than less, because you might just get it and encourage others to bring the same mentality forward.

When we opt for less –for what’s “realistic”– we might just get that, too.

Stay Positive & Better To Stretch Than Be Sorry

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It becomes infinitely easier to care when you know you’re in.

The opinions of the people within the clique are more relevant when you know you’re part of it.

The work is more meaningful when you’re sure you’ll be the point person.

The passion is more contagious when you truly feel part of a team.

One of the largest lies out there is that you have to wait to told you’re in.

Stay Positive & Pick Yourself

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There’s no difference between hitting rock bottom and feeling like you’ve hit rock bottom.

The way the world works, it’s mostly certain you have felt like a failure, that the only option was to give up, that there was nothing more you could do.

Except, there was.

Except, there is.

You can decide to bounce. To use the momentum built in the downward spiral to bounce back up, maybe in a different direction, maybe with a different passion, but bouncing up, nonetheless.

After all, one way to measure success is by how high you bounce after you hit rock bottom.

No, you don’t need to find rock bottom, but it’s worth being ready for when it finds you.

Stay Positive & Be Ready With The Right Worldview

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To effectively overcome fear, you don’t need to do something as large as the fear you feel.

To overcome the fear of flying, you don’t need to book a 14 hour flight to east Asia.

To overcome the fear of writing, you don’t need to write a novel.

To overcome the fear of not being good enough in the work place, you don’t need to come up with the next biggest idea that wins the largest piece of business.

The truth that no one tells you (until now?) is that it only takes a little bit to overcome fear.

A little bit of flying, little bit of writing, a little bit of sharing bold ideas.

The trick is that it needs to be a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow, a little bit the day after that.

Drip by drip by drip.

Stay Positive & Habits Are Stronger Than Your Fears

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There are some heroes who are expected to be heroes (parents, firefighters, lifeguards).

There are heroes who make a heroic act once in a lifetime, who happened to be at the right place at the right time and made the right decision.

Then there are the heroes that show up again and again and again. They bring their best selves to all they do, they put glory into their work, they make promises and keep them.

You can be a hero if you choose to be. One might say, we need you to be.

Stay Positive & Don’t Wait For The Bat Signal

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It’s quite rare that a marketing tactic you deploy to attract a customer will also get them to return.

A full page ad in an industry magazine might get you some attraction. So will giving away free coffee on opening day. It’s unlikely, however, that people who arrive for those reasons will come back the next day.

The paradox, of course, is that if you focus on a strategy that gets customers to return, you’re far more likely to attract more.

Having a bakery themed t-shirt shop that smells like cupcakes is one you want to bring your friends back to, but doesn’t quite attract you to get in the door in the first place. But that’s okay. One and done isn’t the goal.

It’s less about attracting and returning. It’s more about making the return the attraction.

Stay Positive & Strategically Make Them Feel Like They Belong

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