Maybe I should...

Lee and I have known each other forever, and although an exaggeration, we did start our careers together a very long time ago. I was in sales and he was my trusty Product Manager — we were a small group, misunderstood, laughed loudly, and most importantly, were very, very profitable. All in all, it was a great way to start a journey.

As with most starts, you ultimately find yourself moving forward and taking paths you never expected — mine had me wandering around North America and Lee found himself enjoying Europe. Our paths would cross once in a while and we would pick up where we had left off, and we always laughed. Social Media has made it easy stay connected and a quick note is always a click away.

One such note found its way to me the other day. It was a message that simply said,

“Graham!  saw your latest post. Sooner or later you are going to end up on a business video on the airplane entertainment system.  Best wishes...”

It made me smile and couldn’t help but imagine the celebrity that comes with closed circuit TV — it also had me saying, “Maybe I should”. Although there are a few hurdles that I’ll have to overcome, particularly the fundamental loathing that comes with having myself filmed or listening to my voice, none are show stoppers (something that will need to be addressed though). And when I weigh it against all the new skills I’ll develop, this really should be categorized as a no brainer.

To Lee’s point, it’s not that I don’t have a reasonable amount of content…

So here I am preparing for a little adventure that has nothing but upside because at the very least I will end up learning something new. There is some work to do for sure — I need to think of my formula, the production qualities I’ll use, what voice to use, the content needed (and a number of other things I don’t know enough to think of). What I can say is that there’s already a working title for my fledgling video series:

“Fasten your seatbelt”

It does feel right, and I’m certain it’ll position me well to enter the challenging and competitive world of airline entertainment. At the very least, I will ensure I do right by Lee.

iamgpe

PS: If Derek, Marc, Doug, Natalie or Francois happen to be reading this, I hope all is well.

Advice for everything, and short enough for a T-shirt

I think there must be something buried deep in the human condition that craves some sort of simple proxy for things very complex and important. I know that physicists crave this because there is an ongoing search for the theory of everything — they’re looking for something so concise that it can be put on a T-shirt. How do I know this? I happened to read a book called the Universe on a T-shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything, by Dan Falk. I’lI say it’s a fun read, particularly if you’re not a physicist.

I’ll admit I have no ideal why this came to mind but here we are, and I suppose here we go…

As I thought about this more and more I kept wondering if there was some simple advice that encompassed everything but doesn’t involve very much math (and to be used when someone comes up looking for answers). I mean, isn’t that what we’re all looking for, something that’s smart, snappy and easy to digest when you’re out with friends?

Sure, a smart snappy meme is a simple search away, but since the Internet is still very much the wild, wild west and nothing’s been agreed upon, I should at least get my voice out there. So here goes, this is what I’ve come up with — “Keep moving, just not backwards”. It’s profound, meaningful, simple, helpful, and definitely will fit on a T-shirt (although I will openly admit it’s not so clever or unique). I should also mention that this can be taken literally, although it mostly should be taken figuratively; for no other reason that I believe constant movement in a literal sense is a biological impossibility. Wait.. I’m wrong… sharks are constantly on the move or they will drown… but I digress (although I hope my point is well taken).

At this point I’m not even sure if I’m trying to be serious or just writing with my tongue-in-cheek. Nonetheless, there are some important messages behind my newly minted meme, and I believe they’re worth noting.

• When you are moving, by definition there is action, and when there is action, something is getting done.

• Although the movement may sometimes be slow, you are still progressing forward.

• When you are moving you have momentum and that can take you far, particularly when you are a little tired.

• Moving takes you to new places.

• Not moving backwards ensures you are progressing.

• You are definitely harder to catch when you are moving.

• It’s healthier to move — it keeps you loose, agile, and strong.

• If you aren’t moving you’re probably not doing anything

All of this is quite literally and figuratively speaking.

I really should consider having T-shirts made... maybe even sell them on the Internet… I’ll make a fortune.

iamgpe

Moments — shortcuts don't work

As the seminar was coming to an end she emphatically stated —

“Shortcuts don’t work!”

It’s not that I hadn’t heard this before, or that I don’t understand what it means, but for some reason it seemed to resonate with me deeply — maybe it was her enthusiasm, or maybe her conviction, or maybe because it was an informative seminar. The context wasn’t about finding a file on your computer faster (although important), but rather about how a whole plant food diet can offer a healthier and longer life. I think the catalyst to her saying what she did was when someone asked about taking supplements opposed to eating healthy.

With her emphatic pronouncement, she was trying to stress that something important (and worth doing) requires unavoidable work, and although you can always be more efficient and effective, you still need to put in the time. In this case it was a healthy diet, but it could easily be about developing expertise, building a business, or becoming an influencer.

It was push back on a world with growing expectations for convenience and requirements for instantaneous gratification. She offered up the important realization that nothing comes without a price — there’s rarely is a magic bullet.

Overall it was a very good seminar for my health and an excellent reminder regarding some of the other things I do.

iamgpe