From Consulting to Coaching

Hi All,

One of the things about being a quantum brand is that you get the making of the movie running concurrently to the movie itself. As the inspiration economy is real time (how relaxing) and not a scripted performance, mistakes, slow periods and being off your game are all part of the deal. Hallmarks of the real. From “we’re perfect” to fake mistakes to real ones in one generation—not a bad time to be alive, huh? From 3’s Company to “reality” television to the real—possibly televised.

This also brings up one of the most lovingly subtle and important aspects of inspiration—vulnerability.

I’ve had a few discussions with people this week where it felt like I was proselytizing. I can do this when I feel like I am not being got (although ironically usually when people are listening—and which makes them tune me out). If I thought about it for more than the few minutes that I have it’s probably when I’m not listening to myself at an essential level and responding to a fear in the first place. But that may be a bit esoteric for my purposes here.

My point here is that the inspiration economy, which I would say is the goal of our emerging quantum culture, looks doggedly for the how. In a very real sense my value is not determined by what I write but by how I write it. It’s not like I made any of this stuff up—it’s how I combine it (what I choose can be seen as a how as well).

This week I felt my how was barely surviving. It tends to get the thinnest around the holidays, around stress and around meals. One reason I think I was so fascinated with the indigenous tribes that avoided the tsunami (another account of a tribe of 250 that all survived today in the Trib), is that part of me can feel the plates of the economy, of our culture shifting. Unfortunately, instead of relaxing on my what, I just ditched the how.

I got jiggy with the drama. Which is fine on the micro—as they say: “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”, this blog could easily be boring—but once it enters the macro, drama is then contradicting what I claim to be talking about. Raising my voice to be heard about relationships. Um-hmmm.

Part of me is excited for what all this stuff means, another part of me wants to spread the word, and another part every once in a while says “run for the hills”. Sometimes it gets listened to, sometimes not. I don’t mean to trivialize what is going on in SE Asia, India and Africa but I do think that what we notice in the world around us can be a reflection of what want to know about ourselves. As above, so below. And atoms look like solar systems.

I had a million great reasons to panic—money, time, tired, stretched—but I forgot that I don’t want to live that way. I don’t want to be another relationship pimp. I don’t want to be right (for anyone except myself). I don’t want to be in charge of the world. I just want to do my thing. And then rest and kick it with the fams. Eat at Tank (the great Vietnamese place on Broadway and Argyle) and fantasize about making it non-smoking.

So I panicked—and made myself worth less. I wouldn’t say worthless, all things being love and all, but definitely worth less. See how hard it is to grow without drama? Without anything (which is really anyone) to push off of? I give myself a B- and will switch subjects before this gets self-indulgent.


(ps: A great study—I can’t remember who it was but it’s in a fairly popular book—showed that the most progress was made in a business environment with a ratio of 12:1 positive to critical statements. Anything less than that was too negative and anything above that was too fake. I’m going to throw it all in to keep it real. And real time. Just make sure you discern me like a mug. I ain’t right. Not the least when I try to be. Steal what you want and ignore the rest. I’ll work on producing higher quality shit.)