I'm gonna share a secret with you...please tell people about it, because I don't want this secret to stay hidden. Are you ready??? Here goes. I'm full of shit!!! I am...there is no denying it. I tell myself things that I don't intend on following through on, and I make excuses or listen to the excuses I create to rationalize my bullshit. Here is another secret. Ready?? You're full of shit too, and so are your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. Humans are full of coping mechanisms that have evolved over many years and become part of our instinct when faced with challenges or obstacles. There is nothing we can do to stop our brains from creating excuses or stories...but we can choose how to respond to them.
When I say that we are all full of shit, I do not mean that as a negative judgment that we should feel shame over. Rather, I am hoping that by exposing this fact, and it is a fact, that awareness can be raised, leading to greater autonomy in how we make decisions that involve conscious and subconscious input. In truth, I'm proud to tell you that I'm full of shit. In some ways it is a very liberating statement that validates my humanity. If I told you that I don't resist things that provoke anxiety in me, I can't imagine you'd believe that. I hope you wouldn't. As humans we do have a drive for survival, and I am assuming that this drive manifests now in ways that are not always productive, but that do match old impulses to protect ourselves when threatened.
While I believe that all people are extraordinary, I am also of the belief that few humans accomplish extraordinary results. Do you do extraordinary things? If so, please let me know what they are. If you don't do extraordinary things, then I am guessing it is not because you don't want to. I can't imagine that anyone strives to be mediocre, or barely sufficient. I could be wrong, but I know that I don't want to do just enough to maintain the status quo. I want my life to be an inspiring example that helps someone else to find greater satisfaction in their life.
I'd like to challenge people to tell me what their greatest goals are. What are your dreams? What is the greatest impact you want to make in your world? I'd like to know who inspires you and why. What are the qualities that you admire and desire to represent? If you're willing to accept this challenge, then I also want to know what is keeping you from realizing your dreams, and how can I help you.
The following is a list of books that I've been reading which I highly recommend.
1. The Fred Factor, by Mark Sanborn
2. The Innovator's DNA
3. The Speed of Truth
4. Blink
5. Outliers
6. Tribes
7. Linchpin
8. The Art of Possibility
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