Inspirations from Thought Leader SETH GODIN – ‘AYE AYE, CAPTAIN’
Every now and then, I review internet posts and videos created by thought leaders of our time and select a quote that truly resonates with me and that I think might resonate with others, then share it via social media. While doing this today, I stumbled across a 30-minute interview with SETH GODIN (an entrepreneur and author of 18 bestsellers), who shared his insights on his recent work, What to do When it’s Your Turn. Excited, I listened carefully for a single meaningful, meaty quote, but by the time the interview concluded, I realized I had written down 5 of Seth’s quotes—all perfectly stated. Feeling energized, I decided to write a blog post that elaborated and reflected on each quote.
ON WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME/ANSWER.
How do you identify your passion? Does the decision to pursue your passion depend on determining the “right time/answer?” Waiting for the “right time/answer” creates a mirage, a misconception that keeps us from realizing we are still in the desert—stuck in our status quo. However, everything you need is inside you. Yes, You! Once you realize you’re excited to overcome a challenge or achieve a goal, you’ve discovered your passion. Go ahead, follow through.
ON FACING YOUR SETBACKS, AS THE ADULT YOU TRULY ARE.
When you are taking up a new challenge, approach it as if you’re playing a game. When playing a game, it goes without saying that you might win or you might lose. It’s not personal; it’s just how the game goes. As an adult, you don’t throw tantrums, do you? So, with this same adult mindset, you should treat challenges and setbacks in the same way. You might win, you might lose, nothing is personal. You can always play again tomorrow. It’s not fatal.
SHIP IT NOW, BLOW YOUR OWN SAIL.
Is being successful all about productivity then? Productivity is a measure of how much output you create in relationship to the time and resources you put in. You can only start being more productive than others once you develop your instinct to ship—to pursue your passion. That moment, you are ready to sail. You are ready to explore new territory; you have the urge to challenge yourself with new adventures ahead. ‘Aye Aye, Captain!’
ON MAKING A DIFFERENCE, LEAVING A MARK.
Don’t just do anything, do something. The most successful works are the ones that touch people’s lives. If you can do that, if you can leave a mark, if you are missed—this is your measurement of success. Congrats.
ON TOUCHING EVERYONE’S LIVES
It’s important to think about others, but don’t get too ahead of yourself. Focus. You can’t change each person’s life. You are not a prophet. Your goal shouldn’t be touching everyone with your work. Your goal should be to touch someone—just one person—and when you do that successfully, you can move onto tens, hundreds or thousands of people. Pick your battles, centralize your efforts, and work hard.
In the end, I hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I did. Let me know, below, if any of this resonated with you.
Your Partner,
HOW DOES THAT RESONATE WITH ME?
12 years ago, I decided to pursue my passion, so I could co-found a company that touches people’s lives, with my colleagues. We created an organization we are proud of – LADYLINGUA LTD. It took off time and effort to build LadyLingua Ltd., including navigating the challenges of being a strictly online company, and we continue to find ways to improve every day. After 8 years, when the instinct to ship began to buzz again, I decided to share my knowledge and expertise with others to help them identify their passions, so I began mentoring and consultant work. In addition, through my voluntary teaching experience, I found a way to create a curriculum that connects parents with their kids, one that both parents and children enjoy and have fun learning together throughout the process: R-SCHOOL. My passion is still growing, my ship is still pressing forward to sail, and so can YOURS.