Why I Love Seth Godin

In his new ebook that you can download for free, Seth Godin starts his collection of micro essays from a variety of authors with his own essay on “Generosity”.  Godin acknowledges our collective fear and then reminds us that it’s actually not about hunkering down during tough economic times, it’s about being generous with the gifts you’re given or your “art”.  In true Seth “art”, in a few simple sentences, he grounds us and asks us to step into our calling,

“When the economy tanks, it’s natural to think of yourself first. You have a family to feed a mortgage to pay. Getting more appears to be the order of business. It turns out that the connected economy doesn’t respect this natural instinct. Instead, we’re rewarded for being generous.”

Page 1 and I’m hooked already.  And this is why I love Seth Godin.  He makes you think.  Somehow he manages to do this using a few short paragraphs.  His eBook is a collection from some amazing thinkers, authors and business minds – some you’ve heard of, some you haven’t.  Most all of them will make you think.  Or laugh.  Or question.  Seth Godin inspires me to be more concise.  To act more strategically.  To be more consistent.  To step into who I am and share my “art”.

Take this free eBook and download it.  Find an essay that speaks to someone in your life – a friend or colleague – and share it.  Print out the essays that speak to you the most directly and post them somewhere you’ll see them often.  Follow some of these great contributors on Twitter (I think I have 8 new people I’m following).  Check out their blogs and their “art”.

Here are a few excerpts from my favorite essays in this eBook.

From Anne Jackson on Fear:
“Until Fear is gone, (and realize he may never completely leave) make the decision to be courageous. The world needs your story in order to be complete.”

From Elizabeth Gilbert (author of my favorite book Eat, Pray, Love) on Ease:
“Dear ones, EASE UP. Pump the brakes. Take a step back. Seriously. Take two steps back. Turn off all your electronics and surrender over all your aspirations and do absolutely nothing for a spell. I know, I know  – we all need to save the world. But trust me: The world will still need saving tomorrow. In the meantime, you’re going to have a stroke soon (or cause a stroke in somebody else) if you don’t calm the hell down.”

From Howard Mann (first I’ve heard of him but am now following on Twitter) on Connection:
“More megaphones don’t equal a better dialogue. We’ve become slaves to our mobile devices and the glow of our screens. It used to be much more simple and, somewhere, simple turned into slow.”

From Steven Pressfield on Tough-Mindedness (I’ve been looking for a topic like this):
“We live in the age of distraction, of Twitter and multi-tasking and short attention spans. Even these micro-essays are part of it. Whereas what produces real work (and happiness for each of us, in my opinion) is depth, focus, concentration and commitment over time.  The antidote to these scattering influences is tough-mindedness, which I define as the ability to draw lines and boundaries within which we protect and preserve the mental and emotional space to do our work and to be true to our selves.”

From Mark Rovner on Timeless:
“Like all good Buddhists, I believe that when things become chaotic and complicated, it becomes ever more urgent to cut through the noise, simplify and hone in on what really matters.”

From J.C. Hutchins on Gumption:
“Declare war on passivity. Hush the inner voice that insists you’re over the hill, past your prime, unworthy of attaining those dreams. Disbelief is now the enemy, as is the notion of settling. Get hungry — hyena hungry. Get fired up. Find your backbone, and your wings.   Flap ‘em. It’s the only way you’ll be able to fly.”