I’m sitting in my office this morning, preparing for upcoming shows on Zoom. After I bring my wife her coffee in bed (#happywifehappylife) I take my cup to my home office. The coffee helps my brain prepare for the next two online shows — one a fundraiser, the other helping a company host an enjoyable virtual happy hour. As I do this I find myself feeling thankful for my family, my clients …and coffee.
Tens of thousands of years ago a guy was walking around his home and saw a goat off in the distance. The goat was frenetic, bouncing around and acting like no one had ever seen a goat act before. It was making the other goats in his herd nervous and was a big pain.
Did that guy just look at the goat, just shrug his shoulders and say, “Oh well?”
Yes.
Yes, he did. Then he went back to grumbling about whatever people grumbled about thousands of years ago …my dang hut roofer did a lousy job, wish my brother-in-law Larry would get a job, so tired of reading about the tribal chiefs on the cave wall …
But the Next Guy didn’t say “Oh well.” The Next Guy investigated the situation and saw the goat had been eating coffee berries and this incident gave birth to the sweet societal addiction called java, cup o’ joe, NZT-48, wakey juice …COFFEE!
Thank YOU, Next Guy.
I want to be my own Next Guy as there
are still jumpy goats out there.
Business people are facing more challenges today than I can ever remember in my 30+ years in business. These challenges are a lot more than a jumpy goat in the herd. Yet I’m convinced curiosity can help us through this.
Step One: Quit grumbling.
Really. Don’t be that first guy. There’s not much more to say than “Stop it.”
Step Two: Give into curiosity
Six months ago I didn’t think I’d be performing shows in Zoom meetings doing things like …
…raising thousands dollars in one night for charities
…adding excitement and energy to meetings for attendees thousands of miles apart
…helping clients bring laughs and amazement to client appreciation events
But here I am. Doing those things on a regular basis. And all of them began with a cessation of grumbling and thinking, “Hmmm. Wonder if that would work?” And, yes, YES, it has worked.
Where are the jumpy goats in your business? Get curious about them.
Best,
Chris “Doc” Dixon