I began rewriting my story on Oct 12th, 2016.
I had just finished Seth Godin’s altMBA with 100 amazingly talented classmates from around the world. As I turned in my last assignment, I realized a shift had taken place. I went into the altMBA expecting to receive the kind of clarity that would help the world around me make a little more sense. But I came out with a different kind of clarity that was much more internal than external. I ended the altMBA with a greater sense of myself, the boundaries I had accepted for my life, and ultimately what I’m capable of. My story needed a rewrite, and over the last few months, this newfound clarity has been helping me piece it together.
The essentials haven’t changed.
I’m still a husband, a father, a person of deep faith, a youth worker, and someone who believes that good will always win out, even in the worst of people and situations. These things have remained the foundation of my worldview, and continue to influence every aspect of my story.
The setting hasn’t changed.
I am still proud to be working with Youth Specialties to help impact the lives of teenagers. I’m also grateful that I can continue to serve small businesses in my community.
But the story is changing.
It’s how I’m approaching my work that is changing my story. I’m asking better questions, focusing on the details that are actually important, seeking out ways that I can be wastefully generous, and I’m finally aware of—but not limited by—my own fear.
As I’ve been rewriting my story, I’ve tried to capture a few of the lessons that have brought me such clarity since my altMBA experience. It’s taken several months to find the right words, but these 6 have been essential for me:
What Does Fear Look Like?
Fear disguises itself in things that we trust in order to keep us from taking the leap.
My thoughts were inspired by:
- Seth Godin on “Quieting The Lizard Brain“
- An overview of Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art“
The Power of a Narrative
How much power does your narrative hold over you and your organization?
If you want to dig further into what makes up your own narrative, explore your assets and the boundaries that you’ve knowingly (or unknowingly) chosen to operate within, here are two helpful reads:
And if you need a reminder of how our narratives can block our view of a competitor’s potential, re-watch when Steve Ballmer laughed at the launch of the iPhone in 2007.
Perfection Can Be Detrimental
Choose to be extraordinary, and don’t let the goal of perfection slow you down.
Find more inspiration in these 99 remarkable people and things in the free ebook “99 Cows.”
Our Communication Blind Spot
Communication issues happen, but how you respond to them is what matters.
My thoughts were inspired by:
- Superior Temporal Sulcus
- Thanks For the Feedback on Amazon
- Doug Stone and Sheila Heen’s Talk at Google on “Thanks for the Feedback”
Find What Resonates
Every person has a tuning fork inside of them. Our job is to find what resonates with it.
My thoughts were inspired by:
- Pattern Matching as a Shortcut to Growth
- The Purpose, Benefits, and Best Practices of Customer Personas
- An Investigation into How Meaning is Created and Communicated
I’d Rather Be An Executor
If I had to choose, I’d rather be known as an executor of ideas than a creator of ideas.
My thoughts were inspired by:
Jacob Eckeberger 