You’re waiting for the approval, the green light, the O.K.
Why?
Faith in yourself comes first. Faith from others in what you’ve made comes after.
Stay Positive & Build It And They Will Come
Garth E. Beyer
Ideas
If You Don’t Have Anything To Give
Have something to show.
If you don’t have anything to show. Hold your tongue.
It’s fairly simple that when you meet with anyone in your interested industry that you need something to give them or something to show them. (Best if you have both.)
However, time and time again I meet with aspiring writers, entrepreneurs and PR folk only to hear about their business plans, goals and ideas.
People care more when they see or touch something.
Not so much when all they do is hear it.
Stay Positive & Show + Give = Trust
Garth E. Beyer
Enlighten Others
Lessons And Reflections From Krypton Course #001
If you didn’t know, Seth Godin and his team created the Krypton Community College over the summer of 2013. The gist: get together with people to discuss, learn and create together. (Here’s the link to the first course Krypton Course #001 Go: How to Overcome Fear, Pick Yourself, & Start a Project that Matters)
The following are lessons and reflections I thought it was necessary to share.
Week one
1. You don’t need a huge group. My team started with a total of two students and one organizer. Then it dwindled to one student and one organizer. It only takes two to tango.
2. Everyone has similar fears. But they won’t believe that statement until someone speaks up and shares their fears.
3. Fear can be narrowed down to either fear of embarrassment or fear of injury. Surprisingly, people would rather risk injury than risk embarrassment. Wow.
4. Fear – the 20 second rule
Week two
1. You can plan (not set) a path for creating projects that add up to a valuable portfolio of experiences. There’s a middle ground between setting something up and allowing for complete spontaneity. Find that sweet spot.
2. Finding your edge is crucial for success. You can’t find it alone, though.
3. Feel free to read Start Schooling Dreams.
Week three
1. Committment means something different for everyone.
2. Not everything you create should be shared. Not everything you create should be kept secret. Make time for what you keep private, make more time for what you share.
3. As the famous Hugh MacLeod said, “Ignore everybody.”
4. Let what you create and share go. You’re better off creating something else, something new. Once you deliver something, detach yourself from it and go make something else remarkable.
5. Success is not a straight line. (obvious, but worth mentioning again)
Week four
1. If you’re going to share your project idea with someone, make sure they have a project idea to share with you too. Sharing your idea with someone who doesn’t have one leaves you with everything to lose. Sharing your project idea with someone who has a project idea too leaves both of you with everything to gain. (I can’t fully explain the dynamic. You will have to trust me on this one without a long explanation.)
2. You’re going to talk about your project idea and get excited. Make a conscious decision beforehand that you will use that excitement for action and not settle at just talking about it. This is the most difficult part of the entire course.
Stay Positive & I Hope You Will Give It A Shot*
Garth E. Beyer
*if you live in Madison, Wisconsin, let me know. I will be holding course #002 at the start of 2014.
Enlighten Others
The Real Shortage
There are thousands of ideas on how to make life easier, there are thousands of ideas of how to make day-to-day actions more fun or aesthetic, there are thousands of ideas on how to fix government, how to fix the water shortage, thousands of ideas for businesses, books, songs, houses, cars, tractors, buildings, etc,.
When you think to yourself “Can’t they think of a better idea.”
I would bet a thousand that they have.
The shortage isn’t of ideas; the shortage is of action, of execution, of application.
It’s not that people are stupid. It’s that they are afraid.
Stay Positive & Are You?
Garth E. Beyer
Photo credit
Enlighten Others
Before You Cut It
Ask yourself if you can create, provide, develop or be something better.
If you can’t then you have no reason to cut it.
If you can, then you have every reason to create, provide, develop or be it.
Most ideas don’t need to be cut, they need to be made into better ideas.
Whole loaf bread is the only exception. Cutting it actually was a better idea.
Stay Positive & Carbohydrates For Thought
Garth E. Beyer
Photo credit
Enlighten Others
Everybody Steals
There are two types of theft. The first is taking something that is not yours and keeping it. This should have consequences.
The second type of theft is taking something that is not yours (most often an idea) and building on it. This should have incentives.
I have a friendly reminder each day when I wake up that “Everybody steals” (see picture above). Some days I even feel encouraged by it. We can’t be focused on creating something entirely new just based off what is already in our heads. We have to take what isn’t ours and experiment with it.
Ownership has a lot less to do with what one has and more to do with what they do with it.
Stay Positive & The World Is Yours. Now What To Do With It…
Garth E. Beyer
Enlighten Others
Seven Billion Haystacks
Italo Calvino notes in his collected insights on writing that, “Senior men and women have no monopoly on great ideas. Nor do Creative people. Some of the best ideas come from account executives, researchers, and others.”
In light of my recent posts about being creative and how straining it can be, it pours positivity in our fountains of youth to remember that great ideas can be had by anyone.
There’s over seven billion people on this planet, seven billion haystacks, all with at least, at least one needle in each of them, at least one great idea.
Anyone can come up with a great idea. Of course, to some, a great idea is only great if it’s put into play. Glenn Llopis has a thing or two or twelve to say about that.
Stay Positive & Don’t Just Hold The Needle, Use It
Garth E. Beyer
Photo credit
