GarthBox

There are a couple of sources for passion. Your goal is to fuel up with both of them.

Passion can be from something you love. You care about it. You can’t live without it.

A brand that has passion is typically lead by someone who scratched their own itch. She really wanted something, desired something with all of her heart, and if no one else was going to build it, she would.

This kind of passion makes us happy. It offers self-purpose, self-motivation, self-determination. This gets us up in the morning, but what gets us through the day?

The other source of passion comes from frustration, dissatisfaction, and, yes, a bit of anger.

If what you’re interested in doesn’t exist yet, why the heck not? If it does exist, doesn’t it get you going that they aren’t doing a better job? Heck, a lot of entrepreneurs start a business because they know they could do something much better.

Have you ever wondered why looking at your competitors is such a critical element to a business plan? It’s not meant to depress you, it’s meant to get you fired up.

I don’t buy into the idea that it’s difficult to discover your passion in terms of what you love, but I do believe it takes some work to find the right mixture of fuel for your passion – combining both elements of love (what could be) and frustration (what isn’t).

 

Stay Positive & Fuel Up

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I was taught early on to only ever look down on someone if I’m extending my hand to help.

While practicing this concept has helped me make friends, build a following, and attract fans, it isn’t what has really set me apart. I’m not the first to be jazzed about helping people.

What has put me ahead of the pack is that I’ve helped those in front of me, above me, and better than me too. I extend my hand to those behind and ahead of me.

I help people move forward faster. No envy. No jealousy. No resentment.

Someone I really admire wrote me an email the other week when I shared with her my excitement about an award she won. The email read, “you are my biggest fan.”

I can’t begin to describe how good it feels to be told that. It’s a sign I’m making a difference in someone’s life and it’s a reminder to pay as much attention on being the biggest fan to someone as I do trying to create biggest fans of my own.

 

Stay Positive & Who Are You The Biggest Fan To?

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“The ability to stand in the customer’s shoes and to see the world as they do is the most underrated marketing tool we have.” – Bernadette Jiwa

You might not be right when you step into the customer’s shoes.

Thing is, they might not be right either.

The point isn’t to be right, it’s to step in their shoes and try to be right.

It’s often in the process of showing you care, of setting an example for your belief in understanding the customer that the more customers seem to show up.

 

Stay Positive & Showing You Care Enough To Listen Is More Important Than Being Right

*Edit: Being right certainly helps, but it’s not the end-all-be-all. By default, the more you practice stepping into others’ shoes, listening, caring the more often you’ll be right.

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There are a lot of potential strings attached to being happy for someone.

You may also be envious, jealous, upset, and angry with them at the same time.

Maybe they have something you want.

Maybe they’ve done something you’ve always dreamed of doing.

If you can’t be unconditionally happy for someone, don’t be anything. Don’t pay any mind to it. Give it the cold shoulder.

I won’t argue that you can’t be happy and jealous at the same time, but I will argue you can’t be as passionate, driven, and energized about your goal if you’re jealous someone else has already met it.

 

Stay Positive & Focus On You, You’ll Be Better Off For It

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Levelling up is a feeling

Success is a feeling.

Going pro is a feeling.

Change is a feeling.

Impact is a feeling.

The list you’re making, the thoughts you’re having about this new year, the discussions you’re having about focusing more on your passion and less on your work, be sure that every action step you take makes you feel fulfilled.

You’re fully capable of making people feel good, smart, clever, safe, true to themselves, creative, and in control.

When you focus on the feeling you want to invoke, the way you form the message kind-of sorts itself out.

Focus on the feeling and the right words will come, the right design will come, the right opportunities will come.

The caveat: to invoke feeling, you have to get uncomfortable, you have to build momentum, you have to connect with people you’ve never connected with before, you have to take action.

There’s so much this new year has going for me and for you. Will you cash out on all you can?

 

Stay Positive & Will You Cash Out On All You Can?

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