The Desert of Arizona
Sunny 45 Degrees
In the expert business, most of the stuff that people seek out (credibility, expert status, authority) isn’t really stuff that can be “gotten.” These things aren’t treasures to be seized (not that millions haven’t tried).
These treasure are gifts that must be given TO you.
So let’s say you want to achieve expert status in your marketplace.
My recommendation is that you stop trying to grab it. Stop seeking that out.
Start behaving in a way where that status is granted to you.
As is true about most of what we do around here, it pretty much all hinges on that little thing called personal responsibility.
This is where I lose a lot of people.
Because frankly, when you fully accept responsibility for everything in your sphere of being, you realize there’s only one person to blame for everything.
You can’t blame the Republicans, or the Democrats, or the schoolteacher who shamed you, or the “government,” or the banks, or your parents or all those “lazy” people that aren’t pulling their weight around you. Ha!
This is the secret. In fact, from where I sit, it seems to be the biggest secret of them all!
Want to kill fear? Then accept responsibility.
Want to stop chasing crap other people think you’re supposed to chase? Then accept responsibility.
Want to become the respected authority in your marketplace? Then accept the responsibility for conducting yourself in a way that is deserving of such a position.
With that simple act, you are granted unlimited power.
You are also granted limitless responsibility.
For many people, that’s a deal breaker.
When respect, authority, credibility, and expert status aren’t things you can hunt down and TAKE, that leaves you with only ONE asset.
That asset is your own conduct. That includes what you think, speak and do.
Fortunately, you are in control of this asset.
And while it’s not so smart to go around telling the world how great you are, it does seem to be effective to allow your clients and customers to spread that message for you. Helping that to happen is something you control.
Do you have your happy clients and customers speaking for you? Do you have them telling your story?
I created something to help. My son is helping me with it and we’re now (finally!) accepting new members.