A Christmas Agreement

Merry Christmas!  I had every intention of relaxing by the fire today with the family, drinking hot chocolate, snacking through the day with books and movies.  I even shut down my computer this morning in hopes of giving it a rest for the day.

It’s good to rest and recuperate.

Alas, inspiration strikes.

I’ve never really understood the idea of “mental health” days (for a number of reasons), but first and foremost is that I often find them boring.  I don’t like to turn my mind off.  I’m happier when I’m having high-level conversations, writing, strategizing, etc.  It’s like I CAN'T turn it off, nor do I want to.

So, it seems the best thing I can do at this moment for my mental health is to share the message my intuition is delivering.  Here goes.

I’m enjoying the day, hunkering down for the cold temps we’re all enduring.  I chopped a TON of wood last night and it should last for the day and more.  I ain’t going anywhere.  That space got me contemplating, and thinking about you, my audience.

I’m grateful for you.  The high email open rate you give to me affirms that my thoughts are worth thinking, and sharing.

Thank you.  It means a great deal to me.

I’m thinking about the word “audience”.  To me, etymology is one of the most fascinating studies.  It’s like we can see the very history of ideas.  How cool is that?  It’s a human thing, ideas, and it gives our species a special kind of being and destiny.  It’s a little (or a lot) mind-blowing.

A linguist that I sometimes follow says that words “putrefy”, which is to say that they accumulate less savory and exalted connotations over time even if the general shape of the meaning stays the same.

Think about “audience”.  From the old French root “audientia” meaning “to hear”.  It originally meant to listen, as in a play or concert.  The meaning expanded to include a high-stakes meeting granted by a powerful figure such as a monarch or pope.  And now it has grown to include the group of people we influence.

The common theme I see: attention.  All senses of “audience” indicate that we win the precious and scarce commodity of attention in some way, shape or form.  And with attention comes opportunity.  It’s ALWAYS how it starts.  The opportunity to influence or persuade (which is what ALL opportunity is).

All success comes from persuading the right people to take the right actions at the right time.  100% of it.

And how do we assure that?  Through agreement.  You have agreements with everyone in your life.  When we seek success we make agreements with many people, and we succeed as long as all parties are satisfied that the resulting value exchange is balanced.  Look for this all around you.

You are reading this because of an agreement.  I asked for your interest through the promise of insight, and you gave it to me based on the strength of that promise.  If I successfully deliver insight consistently, you will reciprocate by continuing to give me your attention.

You’re doing the same thing in your own way.

I am grateful for you, your attention, and the opportunity that gives to me, and I wanted to tell you that in MY own way.

Merry Christmas!