To Reinvent Yourself, Defeat Your Lizard Brain and Ship!

in CEOwners, Lane Changers

If you’re wondering why you’ve spent the last several months or years or maybe your entire adult life up to now thinking about things you’d like to do or be or know, but not acting on those desires, Seth Godin can enlighten you. It’s your “Lizard Brain” – that deeply ingrained subliminal aversion to any chance of failure or embarrassment. Reinventing yourself always involves some amount of risk, and the Lizard Brain’s job is to convince you that risk isn’t worth taking.

But it is.

And you know it is. So prepare to do battle. According to Godin, you will have to push that Lizard Brain off the stage and back into whatever box you can find. Lock it up tight, because it’s a new world out there – a world that has never been so rich in opportunity to thrive and prosper by creating your own personal art.

Seth Godin’s message resonates strongly with me. I have read three of his books, and I will eventually read more of them. I think he understands in a way few others do the fundamentally liberating aspects of what technology has offered us in the 21st Century. In an article originally published in Success Magazine Godin distills his thinking into 7 points, offering you a taste of his vision for work and creativity.

Godin believes we are all capable of making art – an “original gift that changes its recipient…” and ultimately changes everything through the extraordinary connectivity of our times. Generosity is the operating principal, sharing for the sake of sharing.

But Godin’s primary law is “ship.” You gotta get off your butt and DO something.

“The key to the reinvention of who you are, then, is to become someone who ships. The goal is to have the rare skill of actually getting things done…”

And this in spite of the possibility that you will fail. In fact failure is to be expected and welcomed as a part of your extended education, refining your art and enhancing your ability to ship in the future.

This worldview is pure excitement. It won’t resonate with everyone, but if you’re hitting the midlife zone with an itch to renew your excitement for life, Seth Godin’s message can be energizing. Hop over to Success Magazine and read the full article here. And for a daily dose of Seth’s wisdom, subscribe to Seth’s blog.

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Rick Barlow

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4 Responses to “To Reinvent Yourself, Defeat Your Lizard Brain and Ship!”

  1. Odai March 25, 2013 at 10:43 PM #

    This is something I’ve been dealing with, and it’s tough. This Quora post corroborates what you’re saying as well – http://www.quora.com/Life-Advice/How-do-I-get-over-my-bad-habit-of-procrastinating/answer/Oliver-Emberton

    Reply
    • Odai March 25, 2013 at 10:43 PM #

      By the way, good luck with your blog. It looks promising.

      Reply
      • admin March 26, 2013 at 8:53 AM #

        Thanks. I’m just beginning again after a minimal effort over a year ago. It has taken me a while to get comfortable with WordPress. I’m glad you found me.

        Reply
  2. Dorothy March 29, 2013 at 11:50 PM #

    I thank you humbly for shairng your wisdom JJWY

    Reply

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