Principal Mistakes Pt. 3
The way we show up
With intent or with reluctance?
To help or to get?
For them or for us?
Because…
If we show up with intent, we will be present in the art, the podcast, the interview, the relationship.
If we show up to help, there are no walls and it doesn’t matter what we know how to do as much as it matters that we are willing to contribute. Lewis Howes asked George Mumford how he deals with the fear of speaking in public, George said, “I get nervous every time I have to speak (and I’ve done this for years) but it goes away when I switch from trying to be the best in the room to the person that just wants to help”.
If we show up for them, not as the audience but as people we care about, not as a database but as a community we want to connect with. The 20 people that read our blog, the 10 people in our class, the 5 people that share our posts… we’ll be in the flow and create without bounds and that’s how we can sustainably improve the metrics (for us)
This is what Seth Godin has to say about a flow state:
A flow state is priceless. It happens when we lose ourselves in the work, simply connecting with the task, without commentary or doubt. When we’re in flow, time slows down, satisfaction rises and we feel fully engaged.
An easy way to end a flow state is to see how well you’re doing. Are you ahead of the other runners? Are you progressing according to the milestones? Do you have more social metrics now?
The irony, of course, is that the best way to make progress is to find flow. But if you’re using progress as a yardstick, it won’t last long.
If we’re showing up at all, it’s worth coming with intent, to help and for them.
