How Seth Godin validated my core belief
Seth Godin self published a new book, What to do when It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn). Here is the link to the video where he explains why he wrote this book and how he is distributing it to his fans and followers who want to buy the book- (it not available on Amazon): http://www.yourturn.link
Seth is known as a world renown blogger, master of marketing, award winning author and a champion for change. Here is the link to better understand what Seth does: http://sethgodin.hubpages.com/hub/seth-2
In his latest book, Seth talks about the common stumbling blocks for people who create art and what prevents us from putting our art into the world. He calls anything we make or do ourselves as "art". Art is personal, and according to Seth, those of us who are entrepreneurs who believe in what we are doing, whatever that is, we are creating art and he wants us to ship our art (put it out into the world). "Make a ruckus" he says. "Your art is what you do when no one can tell you exactly how to do it. Your art is the act of taking personal responsibility, challenging the status quo, and changing people. I call the process of doing your art 'the work.' It's possible to have a job and do the work, too. In fact, that's how you become a linchpin."― Seth Godin, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
Short story long- I bought 3 copies of his new book, received 6 as promised (watch his video, you will understand), gave away 5 and kept 1 for myself. I never seem to have spare time to read the books I want to read for business, yet this one seemed easy to tackle in one sitting.I made the assumption he would be talking about the usual stumbling blocks- fear of failure, not trying hard enough, making up excuses why you can't do it, lack of support or opportunity, etc. This being a Seth Godin book, I was wrong. No Table of Contents- he just dove right in with graphics, quotes, photos, stories and anecdotes about how we need to make a ruckus. NOW.
As I read along and enjoyed his thought provoking images and suggestions for changing our perspective about what we believe is why we "can't" produce and ship our art, I came across page 44. On page 44 Seth Godin talks about Setting the Mood when you are not in the Mood. He talks about lousy mood vs great mood and based on opposing page 45 bold headlines, I assumed he would be soon talking about being a professional regardless of your mood and simply do the work every day. Get up. Do the work. Now.
I was wrong.
He surprised me with what he said next. I read it as a personal validation for what I have always believed is my core purpose in life that I started to shed tears. People have asked me why I do what I do so often because it's hard work connecting people to the honest human condition of others and it's "so authentic" to help people feel like they are not alone in this world, struggling with their issues and frustrations and real problems. It is hard work telling the world you have experience, insight and solutions for them because you have actually experienced tough situations.So often we think we are "terminally unique" in this world and nobody can possibly understand, so it is really unusual for people when they feel my empathy. My answer for my husband, my BFF, my children, clients when they ask me why I still bother to send letterpress cards in the mail, May Day baskets/seeds, Wonder Woman underpants to my friend with cancer- is always, "It's not hard, I want to do this. It's what I believe in. I don't want anyone to feel like they are alone or that no one remembers." It feels natural for me to be the conduit for finding resilience and strength when someone is frustrated or hurt. I live to let people know they are not alone, help them find a way to be less frustrated with an issue and better yet- laugh.
I don't get validated often because it is hard work getting the world to understand what I do and why I do it. It's hard to put out 100 two minute high energy advice videos onto YouTube for the public to see and still only have 350 Facebook friends on my Backpocket Strategy page when I see people getting hundreds of likes for their kitten, new haircut or selfie every day. It's hard to have clients not follow my advice and go down the path they were most worried about going, instead of doing the work I suggested. It's hard to have fits and starts with your business based on helping busy professionals find practical solutions to make their personal and professional lives easier, more effective and more successful. The work is easy, I love every minute of it. The hard part is getting validation and encouragement to keep going and keep pushing my art and putting myself out there in new ways so more people can find me. That's the hard part.
Until now. Until I read Seth's sentence on page 44. " The people who need you need you to fix their mood, even when you don't feel like it. …so you can be the one who fixes the rest of us. The mood-fixer is a precious resource, and you can learn how to be that resource." "Do what you should do".
Boom. Seth Godin validated what I do. Wow. I believe I was put on earth to help busy people feel like they are not alone in their struggles. My purpose for the past 25 years has been to create a community (a tribe, Seth calls the people who are your community who believe what you do) who understands we allhave a lifelong list of frustrations and struggles right alongside our insights and experiences. When we share our own practical solutions with each other, we can stop worrying for a moment- about our business, our kids while we are at work, our home lives because of work, our marriages, our bank account, our time management skills. When we admit we need help, we learn we are not alone. We learn there are other people out there who have gone through this and found a way to make it a bit easier.
Seth labeled my professional title: Mood Fixer. And better yet, he told me I was needed. And a precious resource.
Never expecting a reply (having never written a fan email before)I wrote Seth Godin an email at 6am yesterday morning and told him how I felt validated by page 44-45 and it was probably not his intent to "validate" someone who has been in the mood and producing work for 25 years, yet I didn't feel quite recognized or understood yet. I told him it meant the world to me that he wrote those exact words and I circled them in bright pink on the page. I just had to let Mr. Award winning, super popular, zeitgeist provocateur, TED speaker, marketing genius, know that Kathy Hanson truly appreciated his art. I just wanted him to know he changed my perspective.
And at 6:15am yesterday morning Seth Godin wrote me back. You know what he said? I won't tell you all of it because it means so much to me that he took the time to write me back personally. I will tell you what his last 2 sentences were.
go.
go go go