I’m sprawled out on my bed writing to you. My son is reading a copy of Retro Gamer and my daughter is playing Splatoon (it’s a Wii game that your kid probably wants). Lately, I’ve been thinking about this blog, about you, about my business, about what I stand for. That kind of stuff.
The Biggest Competitive Advantage I Have is Openness and Honesty
But that sounds like I’m trying to be virtuous. I’m not. I just think it’s easier/better/faster to just tell you what I think and feel, instead of worrying.
People tend to worry:
“What if I sound dumb?”
“What if people disagree with me?”
“What if I’m wrong?”
Maybe you worry about that.
I sound dumb often. People disagree with me often. I’m wrong often.
Guess what happens? Not a lot. I just keep doing what I do.
The Best Motives To Have
The opposite of “ulterior” motives are “overt” motives. Those are the best kind to have. When I tell someone, “Hey, I’d love to interview you because I think you’re interesting,” I mean “Hey, I’d love to interview because I think you’re interesting.” I don’t mean “I can’t wait to reap the rewards of having you on my show.” In fact, I pretty much never use that mindset “what’s in it for me.”
I don’t do that because I’m somehow great or think I’m all that special. I do it because I’ve come to learn through practice that serving others makes me more money.
Yep. I run a business. I need to make money. I have employees who count on me for salary, and I pay child support and alimony. Plus, I need money for me. Eating food costs money. Gym memberships cost money.
So being overt and telling people what I really want and what I really feel? That makes me money.
The Biggest Energy Crisis This World Faces
I think the biggest problem with energy in this world comes from all the energy people expend trying to be something or someone that they’re not. They worry that if they don’t try to be those things, they’ll be left behind.
(That’s a huge fear, evidently.)
Instead, I just act like me. You could meet me at a conference, in a coffee shop, or hanging out with my kids somewhere around Boston. I’m the same guy. The only thing I do that’s somewhat different is that when I’m on duty for some event, I try harder to be even more social (I’m an introvert, so I push harder to be more friendly).
What if you tried that? What if you acted like you?
What would change?
More money. More energy. Man, sounds like a miracle drug. That’s my biggest competitive advantage.