Receiving vs. Giving
Soul Food March 21st, 2007
Funny how things work out. Yesterday, I wrote about giving advice to someone. Today I received some. I had lamented to my good friend Bruce Turkel that the Richest People in America project, was moving more slowly than I had hoped. He wrote me an incredible email of support. I wish for everyone a friend as supportive and giving as my buddy Bruce. Here’s what he wrote:“Welcome to the world of the visionaries. Unfortunately, what you’re experiencing is what designers, artists and most good creative people go through all the time. We are aware of things before others are and then have a heck of a time trying to sell our ideas to people who don’t ‘get it’ yet.The author of the design column for Automobile Magazine, Robert Cumberford, said it best: “Designers see things before other people do. That’s what they’re paid to do.”
The program you’re promoting now is light years ahead of what you were doing. The trouble is that because no one’s heard of it before they’re not as apt to purchase it or calendar you quickly. But fear not, once it catches on they’ll be all over it and you’ll be light years ahead of the competition.
 Our buddy Joe Calloway was very clear and concise when he instructed the audience at the National Speakers Association convention to “let it go.” What he didn’t say was what you should do when you realize you’re out with the old but not really in with then new. He also forgot to mention how few audience members would actually be courageous enough to actually head off on the road less traveled.
You’ve already done the hard work — you’ve abandoned your old security blanket and you’ve come up with something shockingly new. Ironically, the really hard part is dealing with the anxiety and chewing your nails to the quick (actually or metaphorically) while you’re waiting for the successes to start rolling in.
There’s no substitute for getting off your butt, picking up the phone and doing the work. Sure it’s important to try to get on Oprah, try to get written up in Fortune and Forbes and to try to get a reality show off the ground. But while you’re trying to accomplish those sexy things, you still have to put in the day-to-day hours of cold calling and canvassing. Other than a front page story in the New York Times or a slot on Letterman, nothing will bring in business like your ability to establish a relationship with the bookers — not advertising, not PR, not mastermind buddies, not nothing. It’s all about you.
But you already know all this. You wouldn’t have been so successful over the last 18 years if you didn’t already know how to roll up your sleeves and get to work. You’ve proven it already with a good idea, what do you think will happen when you prove it with your breakthrough idea?!
As one of my favorite philosophers — Pogo the Opossum — once said: ‘We have met the enemy and he is us.’ As one of your favorite inspirations exclaimed and Christian congegations everywhere recite on Good Friday: ‘The night is darkest just before dawn.’
Tim, good is the enemy of great. You’re on the road to greatness”.
Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com
Fabulous _ost (still can’t use the letter that comes after “o” since the water/baby accident!). I get caught in this all the time…as an idealist, as a visionary…my time frame is very different than most of my world’s. Often, by the time they’ve caught on, I’ve moved onto something else and somehow, it all evens out in the wash ;-).
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