Why do we do what we do? It’s important to have a decent answer to this question. Progress, improvement, and creating value can be accelerated if we know why we do what we do. Why is that? Because when we know why we do something, our message and voice become focused and clear. And peopleContinue reading “WHY”
Author Archives: David Shirley
Make Your Own Game
Sports are a zero-sum game. Sports have rules that say a side must lose so the other can win. Life is not a sport. Life is a positive-sum game. Someone doesn’t have to lose for you to win. We can all win. Life has laws and cultural and social norms, but it doesn’t have rules.Continue reading “Make Your Own Game”
Your Mission Statement is about who you serve and how you speak to them
Let’s journey back in time to the first company. Once upon a time, there was a company. It was the first company. This company made and sold wheels. They painted with a mixture of purple dye and blood on the front of their cave, “We make and sell wheels.” Everyone was their customer. Carrying theirContinue reading “Your Mission Statement is about who you serve and how you speak to them”
What’s my thing?
People with a large audience have a thing. They have a singular subject they repeatedly talk about. And the crazy thing is, their audience can’t get enough of it. Take Seth Godin as an example—the undisputed king of modern marketing. Anyone who follows Seth knows what he’s all about and will be anxious to read/listen/watchContinue reading “What’s my thing?”
I asked Chat GPT, “What is Fuck You Money” and here was its response:
“Fuck you money” is a colloquial term that refers to having enough financial independence and security to be able to make decisions without worrying about the repercussions of upsetting others, especially employers or people in positions of authority. Essentially, it’s the amount of money that allows an individual to live comfortably without being beholden toContinue reading “I asked Chat GPT, “What is Fuck You Money” and here was its response:”
Writing Books
Christmas of 2023, I self-published a book. It was a non-fiction fitness book, 7000 words long, and it took me about three months to write. Books are not hard to write because platforms like Amazon KDP allow self-publishing. Now, by putting no thought into what change they seek to make, people can generate text, buyContinue reading “Writing Books”
The Principle of Continuous Improvement.
Be a beginner. Be bad. Be better. Be the best. Thomas Edison found 10,000 ways the lightbulb would not work. Twelve publishers rejected J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone” before it was accepted. Michael Jordan was kicked off his high School basketball team. These outliers are the cliched examples of the principle ofContinue reading “The Principle of Continuous Improvement. “
A German Philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher. I found him online as I was searching the quote’s origins, which does not kill us makes us stronger. Then I found other quotes of his. The quotes are italicized. I added my comments. To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.Continue reading “A German Philosopher”
Light Bulbs Moments
Light Bulb Moments are a beautiful thing. The body changes. The eyes get big. The face lights up. The hand covers the mouth. This is the time to pull out the phone. Yes, even while driving. Talk to the phone. Tell it the idea. Hear the words describe the subtleties and nuances. Talk it outContinue reading “Light Bulbs Moments”
Do Creative Work Every Day
Showing up, day after day, is the best way to create and get it done. It’s not an earth-shattering concept—doing something every day. Yet, so many of us are not doing it. Derek Sivers recently granted me permission to be on http://www.nownownow.com. sive.rs If you visit nownownow.com, you will see a grid of people’s faces.Continue reading “Do Creative Work Every Day”
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