Why Presidents Day Is Important To You (Especially If You're In Home Business)
Published: Mon, 02/15/16
election cycle here in the United States, someone
asked which president we'd most want to spend
an hour with.
I don't remember the answers, but it basically
turned into a bloodfest. People attacking past
presidents of both parties as well as candidates
for 2012.
I gave the only answer I think was important...
I would gladly sit down for an hour with
any of them.
Even the ones I disagreed with.
Sure, from a history perspective it would
be fascinating to know what there thoughts
were when they decided to go to war, or
nominate a Supreme Court justice, or
push a policy objective.
But more so, I would love the opportunity
to spend time soaking in the energy of someone
who rose to the top of the single most competitive
game in the entire world.
One where it doesn't matter how fast you
run, or how much you bench press.
You can start from an elite, politically connected
family, or from a single parent home in Arkansas.
Those things matter, but not nearly as much
as other things.
Knowing how to move people.
How to see the big picture from a million
smaller pictures.
How to form connections.
How to organize and build consensus
and coalitions.
And most of all, how to command.
How to bend the world to your will.
How to create so much confidence in
yourself, others follow you to the absolute
center of power.
How to turn on the flames of desire
in yourself so that people say the most
terrible things about you, and you still
move on.
How to screen out the fact that at every
moment, someone is trying to figure
out how to kill you.
How could someone not want to meet
that person, even if you disagree with
what they think and do?
And of course the answer is we don't
see ourselves as equal to them.
So it's more fun to shout from the sidelines.
Even though that shouting may make us
feel a little better for a minute...
But does nothing to make our lives any better
in the long run.
That is the exact same thing that happens
with most of us in our careers, our finances,
our home business, if we have one.
It's us...and them.
"They" have all the power. "They" have
all the connections.
Bulls**t.
Diane and I are two of those "they's" to
most people. We're in the top one
percent of the places where we put most
of our attention,
And we earn what most consider a generous
full time income.
We did what most people never do.
The son of an electrician and a secretary.
The daughter of a mechanic and elementary
school lunch lady.
No connections.
Just desire.
Willingness to find the confidence.
To vote ourselves in, not wait for any outside
force to give us their approval.
To care about the people, not just the money.
And if you think presidents only think about
the power...well, you don't know.
I don't know either, never having met a
U.S. President.
But they're what's possible.
They did things we fantasize about.
And some of us aspire to.
Not that position.
The leadership.
The influence.
And later on, the rewards that go with it.
You have access to that, if you're
willing to become the person that
makes it happen.
Then follow through.
Disagree with policies. Even disagree
with someone's personality traits.
It's your duty as a citizen.
Work to get who you want and what
you want in power, or someone else will.
But celebrate the process.
And celebrate the people who took their
force of will to the top of the game.
There's nothing from stopping you from
using your force of will to get to the
top of whatever game you're playing.
I can help, if you'd like.
Happy Presidents Day,
Larry