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The Cult of You

28 Apr

The cult of you imageYou = the anti-exclusive plea. People are/will be sick of general appeals. They want to be part of an exclusive group. Think Apple, BMW, Whole Foods. Saying “you” doesn’t narrow your audience. Instead, you narrow your audience by specifying who should be interested. Imagine a wedding party where “You” was supposed to sit in every spot. No one would know where to sit.

Instead, tell your potential audience exactly what makes you different. If you’re brave, mention the things you think some people might not like but others will love.

Don’t ask your customers what they want. They won’t tell you truthfully anyway. Use big data, small data, or your eyes and ears instead. Use them morally and ethically.

Don’t say, “I want to provide you value.” Value should be given and those that want what you offer will thank you for it.

You is unfocused and the next cult will be one of Focus and Exclusivity.

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The Wisdom of Not Knowing

17 Feb

What does knowing bring us?The Wisdom of Not Knowing

It often brings us comfort. We think that knowing gives us power, control, even wisdom.

But knowing is a false state of mind because what we know pales in comparison to what we don’t know.

What we don’t know is what makes life interesting. What we don’t know, especially about others, is what necessitates empathy.

The opinions we form based on what we know should forever change based on what we find out we didn’t know.

This is why we often think of God as infinite wisdom, this ability to know everything.

And yet we act as God, thinking that our limited knowledge gives us space to create absolutes.

Instead, we should live open, open to the unknown, open to the expansion of our knowledge.

This openness gives rise to wisdom. Not a wisdom of knowing everything, but a wisdom found in being open to living.

Be wise.
Be open.
Be alive.

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Wisdom Stories Aren’t Necessarily True Stories

25 Jan

Why do people fight over the truth of religious stories? Religious stories, by their very nature, are wisdom stories. They represent more than a mere representation of the facts. They try to teach us how to live. They are not designed to be a factual account of history.Wisdom Stories Aren't Necessarily True Stories (3)

Last night I saw the “Life of Pi”. I had not read the book (yet). The twist of stories so strongly made this point; that we “believe” certain stories when they fit our view of how we should live. We believe certain stories when they challenge us in just the right way.

If the story we hear is too far outside our current belief system, we may reject it. If the timing in our life is not quite right, we may reject the story. If the characters in the story don’t sit well with us, we may reject the story.

In fact, we may reject a story because the other people who “believe” the story are too different than us. This particular bias is especially scary to me. Our chances of being open to the wisdom in the story may be limited not by the story itself, but by our own fear of others.

The lesson for me is that I should reflect even more thoroughly on wisdom stories that seem too challenging. I suspect that the chance of a challenging story pointing me toward my own biases is even better. The chance seems even greater that a challenging wisdom story will help me lead a more open and good life.

Instead of shutting down and closing off when a story challenges me, I would do well to pay attention, reflect on my own reaction, and grow from the experience.

A Steady State Mind Is an Unrealistic Goal

16 Jan

How to be happyYou want to live a happy life? You often hear two conflicting bits of wisdom to achieve it:

  • Live in the now – be present.

and

  • Be future oriented. Set goals. Set a clear vision for the future.

The reality is that we need to have both frames of mind at different points in our daily lives.

It is good to enjoy the moment. It is good to take a walk and breathe. It is good to exercise and enjoy physical pleasures. We need these things as much as we need to eat.

But we also need to step back and self-reflect. Self-reflection allows us to grow. Self-reflection allows us to consider how we acted in the moment and learn from it. It is in these moments of reflection that we  gain insight into the future we want to create.

We should not pursue a steady state mind. It is an unrealistic goal. We will experience happiness and sadness both in the now and and when we reflect on the past and future. We should enjoy these cycles of experience and reflection.

The beauty of life is that living in the now and planning for the future compliment each other. It is often good planning and future-thinking that allow us to enjoy moments in the present. And it is often in the present moment that we experiences flashes of insight that will allow us to have a better future.

So, today, take time to be present to the moment at hand. And take time today to self-reflect and prepare for a better future.