December 14, 2013 – Saturday’s Smile
December 14, 2013 – Saturday’s Smile Read More »
December 2013
Episode 197 – Lessons Learned From A Casual Comment By A Very Wounded Veteran
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60 Minutes Sports just did a segment on sled hockey, that version of ice hockey played by disabled people who strap themselves onto a sled with two blades underneath. The game is fast and physical. Just like regular ice hockey.
Part of the segment was about men who returned from war torn regions of the world with severe disabilities. One young in particular had lost both legs to a road side bombing. As he recounted the day of his injuries he told the reporter he knew he had been badly hurt. When he discovered that he had lost both legs he said he wondered about a lot of things. “I wondered if I’d ever be able to do this or that,” he said.
But then he said something that hit me unlike anything has hit me in a long time.
It was pretty tough there for a couple of months.”
I stared at the TV screen and thought, “A couple of months?”
He didn’t appear to be any older than 25. I watched his facial expression as he talked and realized – he’s serious!
This young man is serious about how it was a tough couple of months. He loses both legs, gets fitted with prosthetic limbs, has to learn to walk all over again and he characterizes it as “a tough couple of months.”
I can suffer a setback and be on my heels for 6. Shoot, I’ve had some setbacks that lingered well over a year and no limbs were lost. I haven’t even had a broken bone in my life, but I can get knocked down and dragged out with the best of them.
And don’t I feel stupid, ashamed and weak now?
Of course I do. Don’t you?
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Episode 196 – Why All This Racket Is Making It Hard To Get Anything Done
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:01 — 45.3MB)
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When all is said and done, much more is said than done.”
Much more is heard than done, too.
The noise takes on many forms. It’s text, audio, video. It’s news, articles, blog posts or entertainment.
From books to movies, to personal conversations — our lives have a pretty high noise floor.
True story.
A guy asks me about books on marketing and other business building topics. He wants to learn. I was flattered to be asked. He knew I had spent my life in the craft of business building. And he knew I was a voracious reader. I gave him a few recommendations.
Only a few days passed and he was asking me for more recommendations. “Man, have you already read those others?” I asked.
“Not yet, but I’m going to.”
Puzzled, I played along and gave him a couple of additional titles.
I even gave him a few books as gifts, thinking I was helping. But I wasn’t helping. Unwittingly I was contributing to his continued inaction.
He was too busy reading, studying and thinking. There just wasn’t enough action. He spent no time doing!
I watched him flit about from one author to another. I also saw him ricochet around from one thing to another. He was like a hummingbird. Never lighting anywhere…just hovering around from one thing, to another and back again.
Lots of people do the same thing. They invest in information and education. They read books. They buy courses. They listen to experts, gurus and rockstars. I’ve seen it become as addictive as any illegal drug. People can’t seem to resist spending more money and time consuming or listening.
I just need to learn a little bit more.”
Convinced if they only have a few more pieces of information they’ll be ready to launch, they keep on inviting more noise into their lives.
Too much noise. Not enough action.
I’m now fully convinced that it’s not so much information or learning they’re seeking, but it’s distraction and entertainment. They buy the latest Gary Vee book, not because they can learn something, but because they can join the social media frenzy by saying, “Yeah, I read it, too. Wasn’t it great?”
Listen, there are many things I love about Gary Vee, but if you read his books (or anybody else’s) and don’t do something with what you learned, what’s the point? Being able to tweet about it doesn’t make you one more dollar. Or get you one more client. Or one more customer.
Barney Fife had the best advice to Otis, the town drunk of Mayberry…
Pipe down, Otis!”
Our lives are filled with noise and racket that we need to pipe down. Yes, I know I contribute somewhat to the noise, but I hope you’re able to hear just a bit more noise to find some clarity and a strong recommendation at the end of today’s show. You know I want what’s best for you.
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