Dr. Michael R. MacDonald
Faithful readers will know that I like to read and write about people who lift others up. People who give power and light to others. People who get things done. People who help us all soar.
This is not altruism. Reading about these inspirational people lifts me up, gives me energy and helps me get things done. Some of these people are down right infectious (more about that later). I love that.
Writing Again
So when I needed to get back to writing again, I started reading articles, blogs and interviews that get me reved up. I like reading about productive people, GSD people.
I like learning about people with big ideas. These ideas may be light years beyond what I could ever accomplish. But they can still help me in my own small ways.
All this reading and watching can be a little too passive, though. I needed to start producing, or shipping as they say in the blogging world. Shipping means, not only creating something, but also sending it out the door into the world.
Getting Started, Again
Here’s what works for me.
First, I want to start getting busy, any kind of busy.
Some people are hesitant to start because they are waiting for some good ideas to pop into their heads. Seth Godin, a well-known author, suggests that doing anything, even if it is bad, is the best way to get to the good stuff. Even moving in the wrong direction is better than not moving at all.
Madeleine L’Engle the award-winning writer and poet put it well, “Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.”
Sir Paul
Sir Paul McCartney is well-known for his incredible productivity, even into his eighties. I recently heard an interview with him where he noted that he still has over 2,000 song ideas on his phone waiting for development.
He is also known for his relaxed approach to writing songs.
He doesn’t wait for the perfect song or even a well-formed song to come along. For instance, he frequently comes into the studio with a vague idea for a song. Then, by collaborating with others, he sees if anything worthwhile might emerge.
It would not be fair to the rest of us mere mortals to compare ourselves with such a legend. But we can learn a few things to get us moving in the right direction. I think one message from him is to always keep moving and keep creating. And once you get moving it is much easier to keep going.
Infectious Energy
As I noted earlier, some of the people I read about have energy and enthusiasm that is truly infectious. I feel excited just writing about what motivated individuals can accomplish. And it makes me want to do something productive.
One of these people is Linda Rottenberg, the CEO and co-founder of Endeavor, a non-profit organization that encourages the power of entrepreneurship. She is also the author of Crazy Is a Compliment: The Power of Zigging When Everyone Else Zags.
One of her many superpowers is telling stories to inspire and motivate others. She is so excited during storytelling that she can hardly sit still. You can feel her energy just by listening, a true force of nature. Her energy also radiates from her beaming smile.
One of her favorite stories originated from a taxi ride in Buenos Aires in 1995. The cab driver told her that he had an engineering degree, but could not find any work in his field. She asked him, in his own language, if he had ever thought about starting his own business, becoming an entrepreneur. He didn’t know the word entrepreneur and told her that in Spanish the word entrepreneur didn’t exist. He said, in his country, businesses were only started by big corporations or people with old money and high status connections. Not only was there no start-up capital for entrepreneurs, there wasn’t even a common word for such an individual.
In another related story, Linda once told a group of students in Brazil the legendary story of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak starting Apple computer in Jobs family garage. One student piped up saying, “thats a nice story, but no one will give me any money to launch my idea … and I don’t even have a garage.”
After a little research, Linda found out that this was generally true across much of Latin America. There were no role models like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. So she co-founded a non-profit organization to try and change this. Endeavor ended up creating an entrepreneurial eco-system, modelled after Silicon Valley. She highlights that they have screened over 50,000 entrepreneurs and currently work with around 2,500. These entrepreneurs generate over $60 billion annually and have created over 4 million jobs in emerging markets around the world.
Her infectious storytelling shines in this interview, below, with Seth Godin, a renown author and marketing legend. I love Seth’s generous attitude toward entrepreneurs, creative people and life in general. (Faithful readers will have seen several of my previous posts about Seth’s work.)
During this interview, he was surprised that he had never heard of Linda even though she had been “quietly changing the world in over 45 countries, for decades. When I met her, the lights turned on”, said Seth.
(My apologies if this video only loads with Google Chrome.)
In this interview and her book, Crazy is a compliment, Linda entertains with a wealth of big, big ideas. Ideas that she puts into action. She even embraces her nickname, la Chica Loca, the Crazy Girl.
To me she is crazy infectious. After watching this interview, I can’t help but want to get moving and producing.
Here are a few more inspirational bits to help you get moving.
Be Open to Inspiration – It’s Everywhere
If you like to write, fall in love with literature again. Re-read a chapter or two of your favorite books. Even if you start writing and it turns out bad, you don’t have to show it to anyone. It may be bad, but you are on your way.
If you want to get back into exercising again, there are a lot of motivational magazines out there. You can start by walking with a friend, learn how to run, walk, run to build up some endurance or get your bike out of storage. I found useful how-to videos on YouTube when I ask about specific skills for a specific type of exercise or sport.
For aspiring musicians, YouTube can also be helpful. To inspire me to practice more drumming, I avoid most of the how-to videos and go straight to drum covers of specific songs I want to learn. Alternatively, I like to watch videos of famous drummers showing off their chops.
Whatever your passion, the trick is to find simple credible inspiration, rather than hype. Social media can be an endless trap of hype and bogus claims. You might do better by asking a specific question to an AI program and mention in your prompt that you want credible recommendations and sources.
Inspiration can Even Be Found In Politics
Some of you may want to make a difference in the world by entering politics. I laud your bravery.
It hs been said that politics is a dirty business. But some have been able to do it right. I think Barack Obama did a credible job, with his heart in the right place. I am not an American, but I miss him.
Ben Sasse is a more recent example. I don’t know much about his track record, but I think he is known as a rare independent-thinking Republican. An interview with him on 60 Minutes, a few weeks ago, revealed a man of credibility and authenticity. It was truly heart-warming and inspirational.
Until next time, let our warm hearts soar!
Michael
michael@aWarmHeart.ca
And thank you for caring that little bit extra – it really makes a big difference.
