Pick Yourself (Seth Godin Live)

Garth Beyer
w/ Seth Godin

Give Yourself Authority

It’s been over a month and a half since I attended Seth Godin’s Pick Yourself event in Tribeca (NY). There’s a specific reason I waited so long to reflect on the event. I wanted to prove a point, not just about Seth Godin, but what any business must produce, whether in product or experience.

Simply put, it must be astonishingly remarkable, something so memorable it is still thought of and excites a person’s senses a month, five months or a year after the product is purchased or the service is used. Essentially, that is what Seth Godin’s Pick Yourself event manifested, so it is with easy honor that I will hit some points from it again along with my own curves and twists of ideas.

I had no inclination to write this so soon. I decided to after I created a new motto the other day, tweeted it and it got retweeted by a few people. It was just another tweet, another 140 characters that my mind spit out and that I needed to share.

My motto: Give yourself authority.

It was only after I expressed the motto on twitter that I was tapped by the memory of Seth Godin’s Pick Yourself event, which it’s theme was to not wait for someone to pick you, not wait for an authority to notice you, to get lucky; but to pick yourself, solve the problems yourself, find the opportunity yourself, to lead yourself and quite plainly, as my motto states, give yourself authority.

72 Steps To Starbucks Coffee

While in New York City every 72 steps, either if I turned left or right, I would be facing a Starbucks. In Manhattan alone, there are approximately 300 Starbucks stores. That means that out of all the registered Coffee Shops in New York, Starbucks consists of about 60% of them. In a city dominated by the outlier of the Coffee Industry, how can any other coffee shops even make it?

That’s a simple answer that you can come up with. The better question is how Starbucks was able to take a symbol from Moby Dick, use it as it’s logo, and create a brand – an understanding of when you see the symbol, you are going to smell the richest Coffee in town and get free Wi-Fi along with the absolute best customer service.

It’s A Revolution

The dictionary says that a revolution is a single turn of event. Our revolution, the one we don’t quite understand, the one we thought could be easily understood, the one that is making us question nearly everything, is not a single turn of event, it’s a million turns. This revolution is something that is a collective change in one sense, but deep down to it, it’s about the turn each one of us makes, a turn that may be different than the person next to us. While putting it in the most simple form, the revolution is about giving yourself authority, ridding yourself of the chains of tradition and following your passion to create art. Yet, to do each of these things is not something that we can do collectively, being collective is what got us in this grave. No. This must be done individually; each person must make the choice, must give themselves authority and use it. In its entirety, this revolution will turn Perfect into impossible

Instead Of Giving It Our All

Seth gave a long description about the industrial age and this new age of connection. The one take I want to share with you from the event is this.

“So one quick example, just to show you how deeply ingrained this is. If you don’t mind, raise your right hand just as high as you can. Okay, now raise it just a little higher.”

Instead of giving it our all the first time, we give enough and then a bit more when told to. Some people raised their hands 20% higher, others 5% higher when told to raise it a bit higher. In a room of about 200 people there was about 4,000% of potential not being used until told to. The way I see it, even if you gave 100% and raised your hand as high as possible the first time, you would still find a way to raise it higher.

I No Longer Market To You

I had no clue what real type of marketing I was doing on my website until I heard Seth Godin say this, “Because marketing has shifted from me marketing at you, to you marketing to each other.” So, when creating a product, running a business or writing a blog, you can provide all the strong content you would like, but unless you know what you want to do with your audience, your tribe, unless you know how to give them strategies to market to each other and other people that will join your tribe, you have nothing.

Juggling

Seth Godin also inspired me to write this post: The Juggler’s Perfection. On the note of Juggling, of doing what you love, of taking that risk…

“Is it worth getting arrested for?” – Seth Godin

Bluffs, Excuses and The Promise

You think you have a hundred reasons not do something, not to take  leap, not to go out on your own or start your business or take a risk to achieve what you really want. Actually, you probably only have 15 to 20 excuses, or rather, they are bluffs. When you sit down, write the list of the 15 to 20 bluffs, and work through it, you will find that either you don’t have anything holding you back, or you just need to work out a way to get around one or two excuses (a lot easier than working around 20). What it comes down to, what it really comes down to is that you want a promise it will work. You want the paper to say, after you have crossed all your bluffs out, that it will work indefinitely.

There will never be a promise that it’s going to work. Once you realize that, you realize there’s no point in making a list, not because there’s no point in achieving your goal anymore, but because you realize that you are going to have to take a risk and that there isn’t a promise, you will say “something is better than nothing” and get on with it, ship the product or start the business. As humans, if we are not promised lobster (perfection), we would rather have crawfish (anything) than nothing at all. Once you realize there is no promise of perfection, no lobster, it makes doing the thing you made a list of bluffs for, all the more easy. You may even find that you like crawfish more than lobster.

A couple of sayings to use/share

Money is a weight you can run much faster without

You will be wrong a lot, but you will be right a lot too

All you need to care about is being human

The Two Achievements I Made After The Event

Seth made a simple, yet such an extremely interesting point about entrepreneurship and freelance. A freelancer gets paid when she ships, delivers the product, finishes. The entrepreneur gets paid while she sleeps. I am happy to say that, while I still do freelance writing, I have crafted a segment of it into a businesses in which I have hired two employees already! I now sleep easier (because I know I’m getting paid for it) and I have more time to do $100 an hour work that makes a much larger impact on the world – which leads me to…

The second achievement is nearly ready to be shipped. My 30,000 word manifest on what school is for: a view from an 18-year-old graduate who received his associates degree and plans to go back for a master’s degree. Not for the diploma, but for the information and experience being within the system will produce, in order to write a 90,000 word sequel upon graduation. The eBook, Start Schooling Dreams will be released at the beginning of August, 2012, completely free. More background information to come soon.

 

Stay Positive & Take The Authority, Make A Badge Even

Garth E. Beyer

Paid To Think

Garth Beyer

You know why it’s good to get paid for your thoughts, ideas and actions? Because you have a million a day. Even if you get paid 1 cent per thought, you would still make more than if you got paid $500 an hour for an 8 hour work day.

No wonder why bloggers, writers, artists and creative minds make so much.

Food for thought.

 

Stay Positive & More Thoughts, More Money, More Food (For Thought)

Garth E. Beyer

“The World Still Moves On”

Garth Beyer

It’s a common saying, a statement that gets the average worker to not bring home frustrations and sobs from mistakes that took place during the day. It’s a motivator to those who think that since the world still moves on, that they better move on too. (You caught the post earlier about what happens when you stand still.) But what you may not know, is that the saying is used by the dispensable cog, the mediocre, the “average” Joe, the common worker.

See, a Linchpin, someone who brings the best to their work, brings passion, motivation, self-determination and so much more; when they stop working, when they take a break or leave for the day, the world doesn’t move on. Linchpins make the world stop when they stop being creative. The world can’t function without them doing what they do best.

Sure, the mediocre can move on, but the Linchpin moves up.

 

Stay Positive & Keep The World Turning

Garth E. Beyer

Think On These Things

Garth Beyer

Don’t you hate when questions are answered with questions? They are often confusing and even more aggravating unless it’s Krishnamurti asking the questions.

This was my second time picking up “Think On These Things” and reading it all the way through. I mentioned that I read it all the way through because it’s actually a hard book to read start to finish because you are constantly asked to do exactly what the title says, to think on the things that are talked about. I’m not sure about you, but thinking can get exhausting especially when what you are thinking about is breaking boundaries, challenges status-quo and punching tradition in the face.

The reason I tried reading it a second time is because the last time I read it, I was 16 years old and I wanted to see if 1. It is really worth reading a book twice and 2. If I had a different outlook on the philosophies that Krishnamurti spoke about 3.5 years later.

Before I write a short book regurgitation, let me riff on reading books over again. This isn’t my first time trying it, and I’m going to give it one more shot with another book that I am going to read again soon. During New Years I was reading dozens of posts about the best books to read and the fact that this year is supposed to be about reading the best books over again and applying the lessons to your life.

What I have come to learn is the little things which you would catch in reading a book over again, are rain dropped throughout a similar book by a different author. The books are similar, so these small repetitive lessons are also similar. You have already taken the most important pieces of the first book; there is no point in reading it again to catch the small points when you can just read another book with new big important pieces and the same small points.

The thing about the many books based on the same subject or field of interest is that they are all plagiarized. The author read nearly a hundred books on the subject, used the small points from them and created the larger, new, more important ones and the next author did the same. Because this is the way books are written, it seems ill-fitting to reread a book over again.

Book Regurgitation

“To find out what you love to do demands a great deal of intelligence; because, if you are afraid of not being able to earn a livelihood, or of not fitting into this rotten society, then you will never find out”

The real reason I picked Think On These Things up to read it again was because I wanted to revisit his concepts of the function of education which is the title of the first chapter. Throughout the entire book the way education is taught is challenged and ideas are given to improve it. Being straightforward, everything that is mentioned in the book is supposed to also be mentioned in school, to be thought on, to be philosophized on – something that will also appear in my first 30,000 word eBook that will be released at the beginning of August.

Freedom is the next subject that is focused on as most people are not free; they are dead or near death. “We all want to be famous people – and the moment we want to be something, we are no longer free.” (pg 10) At the same time of freedom, intelligence is thought on. Intelligence is to find out, but to find out is not to make a conclusion. Once a conclusion is made, the mind is bordered and dies much quicker. See, the whole concept of freedom is to free the mind, not in the sense of it being empty but in the sense of it being aware with love and experience.

Love is mentioned very few times throughout the book because love is simple.

“Have you noticed how few of us have deep feeling about anything? Do you ever rebel against your teachers, against your parents, not just because you don’t like something, but because you have a deep, ardent feeling that you don’t want to do certain things? If you feel deeply and ardently about something, you will find that this very feeling in a curious way brings a new order into your life” (pg 61)

Another quick note to make about the book is that aside from the opening of each chapter, the chapter is comprised of answers to questions. One particular question is “However much I may want to be an engineer, if my father is against it and won’t help me, how can I study engineering?”

Krishnamurti’s answer, “If you persist in wanting to be an engineer even though your father turns you out of the house, do you mean to say that you won’t find ways and means to study engineering? You will beg, go to friends. Sir, life is very strange. The moment you are very clear about what you want to do, things happen. Life comes to your aid – a friend, a relation, a teacher, a grandmother, somebody helps you… But you see, we don’t want to invite life, we want to play a safe game; and those who play a safe game die very safely is that not so?” (pg 126)

Other great questions which are issued and responded to:

To revolt, to learn, to love – are these three separate processes, or are they simultaneous?

How can we be free of dependence as long as we are living in society?

What is self-knowledge, and how can we get it?

Why do we want to be famous?

I am full of hate. Will you please teach me how to love?

What is happiness in life?

Why do we find pleasure in our games and not in our studies?

Why do we hate the poor?

Why do we like to be lazy?

How is one to become intelligent?

Why do birds fly away when I come near?

As always, I have to give the one chapter to read to see if you are interested in getting the book. “The energy to life” is the fourth to last chapter in the book and basically answers how to be full of energy all of the time rather than lethargic and lazy each day. All in all, was it worth the read a second time? No. Was it worth a read the first time? Yes.

Free Library

Krishnamurti is the far right one, had to be different and put the pages facing out

Since I moved to Madison, I have noticed something peculiar popping up as I ride my bike on the bike paths. Bird houses. Not just your typical bird house, but a huge bird house, with an actual door instead of a hole. Above the door the words “Little Free Library” are written. Inside this giant bird house are random books that people have put inside. I think it is an absolutely brilliant idea and as you can see, I have deposited my Krishnamurti book in one. At first I was worried that there are only bad, terrible books being tossed into the free library because people don’t want to hold on to them. Then I realized the books inside are probably the best books anyone can read because they are so valuable that people have to share them, have to let someone else experience them and have to feel that inspiring power of knowing that you contributed to someone’s experience in reading a fresh, positive, great book. To the person who will pick this book out, enjoy. To the readers who will check this  book out at a public library or view the recommended chapter at a book store, enjoy.

Stay Positive & You Get The Most Thoughts For Your 4 Bucks With This Book

Garth E. Beyer

People Die Standing Still

Garth Beyer

You may be on standby, but death isn’t.

Nor are opportunities or priceless moments to demonstrate your talents or your art.

 

If a rock is left in a strong stream of water unmoving, naturally the stream will grind down the rock into a pebble. Ultimately defeated it will either be piled on with more rocks meeting the same fate or get taken by the stream and tossed out.

Like the pebble, standing still in life will lead you to be grinded down to non-existence, except it occurs much quicker. When a person creates a stream of their own success, by starting to move, starting to push, starting to lean forward, their stream continues to gain momentum and power. They (their stream) strong with creativity, toils anything standing still. (you?)

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Stop Improving

Garth E. Beyer

The Race Of Creating Value

Garth Beyer

A person just following orders, just trying to reach the finish line, just trying to complete something, with no intention of creating inexorable value, does a two-step forward, one step back process.

They make progress, with some setbacks and eventually reach the destination but there’s not much value in that.

Every person running a five-mile race gets to the finish line but only a few significant people are the first to reach that destination with even more passion and vigor than when they started. They are the ones to get the audience standing, whistling and applauding until their hands sting. That is value.

 To make anything remarkable, creative and irreplaceable, it’s still a two-step forward, one step back process, there is nothing special to it, there is no natural born talent, they merely have more passion. That’s it. That’s how to create value.

Notice, those who finish last in the race get the same type of applause as the winner because the audience can see the passion burning, the determination to complete the race, the relentless effort that the last place person is putting in. That is value.

Also notice that the audience is going just as crazy over a few runners that are in the middle. The ones clapping for them know how passionate they are about running the five miles. The runners made sure to express their passion, whether they win or lose. That is value.

See, whether you finish first, fiftieth or last, you have the ability to create value. All you need is to declare, bespeak and manifest your passion.

 

Stay Positive & Just Race Passionately

Garth E. Beyer

The Writer’s Legacy

Garth Beyer

J.K Rowling is legendary. She is legendary  not just for Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, but for six other Harry Potter books and one unrelated new book this Summer. 

If you read the Harry Potter series, you know Voldemort had his soul torn into seven different pieces. Those seven pieces were part of him. Likewise, the seven books are a part of Rowling and in essence, it is those seven pieces that turned Voldemort and Rowling into a legend.

Does Rowling need to write another book? Of course not. She’s set. The fact she is writing another defines what it means to be a writer. Being a writer doesn’t mean you work hard to produce one book and win big on that one book.

Rowling couldn’t have done it with just one Harry Potter book, there’s no legacy in that, no passion. It would just have been a  book that she wrote and that’s it. It doesn’t matter if you have a book inside you anymore. One book doesn’t cut it, one book doesn’t make you an income you can live off of the rest of your life and one book definitely does not create a legacy.

Every legendary writer you can think of has published more than one book, has written more than one essay, has bled more than one poem. Writing a book doesn’t make you a writer, writing a book is average, millions of people do it. Very few write seven like Rowling, 40+ like Stephen King or have more than 1,000 published like L Ron Hubbard.

There is a highlight to reaching this realization. It makes writing that first book easier. See, too many people spend thousands of hours on their first book hoping to make it big. They spend more time editing than they do learning how to write better when learning how to write better is much more important because the more you write, the less you will need to edit. The less you need to edit, the more you can write and the more you can write, the more books you can have written.

Rowling, King, and Hubbard published a lot of work before their novels hit the status of legendary. They wrote endlessly and everything they started making was ugly until they made so much ugliness that it became beautiful and eventually legendary.

Having a book inside you and wanting to be a legendary writer are two different things. Unless of course, every time you vomit that book inside you, another takes its place.

 

Stay Positive & Stick Your Fingers Down Your Throat If You Have To

(just get that first book out and see if another takes its place)

Garth E. Beyer