Humility, false bravado and blindspots

Sometimes you need someone to tell you like it is and boy was I ever told this past weekend.

As Ricky Ricardo would say, "Let me 'splain."

Alexis and I were talking and she said that one of her friends that bought an advanced copy of my soon to be released home study course, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits", commented that although the content was great, the packaging was not. That is looked like it had been "thrown together" and that the Cd's were not edited properly.

At first, I was defensive -as I usually am. But then I started listening to what she was telling me and knew that she was right - which she usually is.

To me, content is all that matters. I don't care at all how the product looks BUT that does not mean packaging isn't important because it is. Everything is important.

I am having a team meeting tomorrow and the subject of making our products look and sound as good as the content they contain, is high on the agenda.

But all of this raises a MUCH bigger issue. The issue of humility.

Alexis pointed out that sometimes I come across like a braggart who thinks and says, "I'm the best." She asked that I go and and re-read some of my blog posts to see what she meant.

Not only did I do that but I read some other forms of business communication and, with an open mind and I'm embarrassed to say, she was once again correct.

It's important that you and I have supreme confidence in what we do and that we strive to be the best that we can be but do so with a touch of humility.

False bravado and overbearing cockiness do not allow you to be the best that you can be in any area of your life because they create blind spots. If you believe that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread, you will not objectively look at areas where you need improvement. And we ALL have areas where we need improvement. Believe me, I know that.

Also false bravado hides who you really are and how you really feel about yourself. It is a cover to hide behind so you don't have to look at your areas of weakness.

You see, mi amigo, I don't think I am the best at anything. Why? Because just that statement reflects that I am judging myself against the success of other people when I really should be working on being the best I can be and determine my success on the pursuit and achievement of the goals I set for myself.

Soon, my new "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" book is going to be published and released. It is an excellent book that I am really proud of. But you won't hear me saying that it is "the best." There are a LOT of good books available by some really smart people.

Should you get my book? Yes. Do I want you to buy it? Of course. Because I believe it can really help you live the life of your dreams. But I could not have written that book without the help and guidance of a whole lot of people. And that is the real truth.

Tomorrow, I am flying to Oregon. While on the plane, I am going to looking at my business and myself and writing down where I need to make improvements. I will be shining a bright light on what were once blind spots caused from the false bravado being "the best."

(Your comments are always welcome and I read all of them.)

Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!

~Dave Dee