I’ve spent most of my life either running away from failure or running towards my dreams…often a bit of both at the same time.

It comes at a price though, because I have a restless spirit.

I can’t remember a day gone by in which I didn’t feel some sense of urgency…”you must create.”

I don’t know what it feels like to be at peace with my accomplishments, nor do I know if I could live myself otherwise.

I’ve always been drawn to three things really:

1. Spirituality

Having been raised in a very traditional Christian environment, I know a thing or two about religion, most of which clashes with who I am.

So, although I’m deeply spiritual, I am not religious.

2. Making Music

I’ve been making music since I was in grade school. When I didn’t have instruments, I was making it in my head or on paper.

I played French Horn in High School (crazy right?), trumpet, drums, saxophone, and now play guitar and a bit of piano.

3. Writing

When I wasn’t making music, I was writing songs and bits of poetry. I was planning my next great novel. I was writing, writing, and writing more.

Even though I never considered myself a writer, looking back, I don’t see how I didn’t. I still recall hearing one of my teachers protest my decision to study science in college:

“But you’re a writer Nathan!”

Thank you Mrs. C

So, although I create, and I can’t stop doing it…I’ve got this strange need to see my bills paid on time. Crazy right?

I always thought that in order to do this, I’d have to have a real job or do something that I didn’t necessarily enjoy. I never saw art and money going together.

But then I met people that are doing just that…

There’s Hugh MacLeod, who despite his greatest efforts to the contrary, is becoming known not for his “side hustle,” but for his art.

There’s Danielle LaPorte, who is making art in a way that inspires others…in the form of wisdom.

There’s Seth Godin, Gary V, DHH and Jason Fried, and dozens more.

Sure, they might not all be artists of the painting type, but they are making art in the sense that they’re:

a) following their passion

b) making something remarkable

In my talk recently at the Influencer Project, I said that if you really want influence, then you need to make something worthy of influence. In other words, don’t try to get influence…try to create it.

So here I am, a dude that has done a bit of everything.

I’ve chased the dollar, and I’ve been a starving artist.

I’ve spent time at war, and I’ve spent time in my own personal wars.

I’m a born crusader…it’s not something I can change, nor is it something I want to change.

At the same time, I keep finding myself in a place where I feel pressured to compromise who I am in order to make a living, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are 5 promises I’m making to myself right now:

1. I’m going to write a book by the end of the year. I’m just going to do it.

2. I’m going to start making music again, and I’m going to be creating my own music for Blogger Beats and the upcoming Soundtrackster.

3. Every post on this blog will either be art in its own right, or about artists…no more compromising.

4. The people I work with will be artists…they must have a mission.

5. Everything I create from this day forward will be evaluated not on how much money it can make, but how much closer it moves me towards my goal of doing nothing but creating art.

Is this idealistic or overly optimistic? Probably, but that’s what I like about it.

I’m nearly 32 years old, and I’m staring down the rest of my life. I simply cannot afford to negotiate with or to compromise my core in order to appease or to appeal…whether to myself or others.

There are plenty of people making a living doing what they do best, and to be honest, it’s fear that has kept me from following them.

But I’m an artist, and even though I might not be creating oil paintings, I’m still worthy of creating art. I think it’s time that more of us do the same.

When I speak of doing something that matters and of making a difference, this is what I mean.

Less time following the lead, compromising, and making it work…and more time leading…and making it work.

Who’s with me?

Make Nothing but Art is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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Editor’s Note: This post isn’t really business, which is why I’m publishing it on Monday on a day/time outside my regular schedule. If this isn’t your thing, come back tomorrow for some great business discussion.

“I came here to say that I do not recognize anyone’s right to one minute of my life. Nor to any part of my energy. Nor to any achievement of mine. No matter who makes the claim, how large their number or how great their need. I wished to come here and say that I am a man who does not exist for others. It had to be said. The world is perishing from an orgy of self-sacrificing.

I wished to come here and say that the integrity of a man’s creative work is of greater importance than any charitable endeavor. Those of you who do not understand this are the men who’re destroying the world.”

I’m not going to make any friends with this post. I’ll probably lose subscribers and Twitter followers, and I’m OK with that. The minute we start filtering what we say in order to become less hated and more well-liked is the minute we become politicians…and who is really loathed more than politicians are (including self-loathing)?

What I’ve come to talk about today is the pervasive thought plague that seems to be spreading throughout the net…the one I like to call the Rainbow Virus.

Here are the signs:

1. Belief that the world will become a better place if we sit around the campfire and sing Kumbaya

2. Belief that talk is good enough.

3. Excessive happy go lucky kind of talk…feel good stuff that gets you high.

4. Seeing self effacement as the pinnacle of personal achievement.

5. Rebellion as the goal and not as a means of accomplishing anything except being rebellious.

6. A refusal to accept differences and instead, wishing that everyone was the same.

7. Regarding self-expression as the highest form of virtue.

8. Not realizing that if you rock the boat long enough, that it’s going to tip over and that when it does, you better be ready to swim.

9. Bringing people down in order to bring others up (Toohey anyone?)

10. Change for the sake of change.

Remember the quote from Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club? “Self improvement is masturbation.” Couldn’t be more spot on. Sitting around talking about butterflies and rainbows makes us all feel good, but it doesn’t accomplish anything, well…unless the goal is to distract from the accomplishing itself.

Here’s my attempt at the cure:

1. These people are kind of like the people that badmouth soldiers. They have the ability to do that because there are others out there taking action, while they sit around the campfire and badmouth the rest of the world.

2. Don’t tell me what you think the problems are…tell me what you’re going to do about them. Don’t tell me what you’re going to do…bloody do it.

3. Feeling good is good, but you’ve got to use that goodness to your advantage. It’s really easy to talk a big game, but where’s the call to action?

The only thing achieved from watching Oprah on the DVR is that Oprah’s net worth increases and you’ve wasted valuable time.

4. You are perfect the way you are. Don’t beat yourself up for failing or for making mistakes. You’re born with what you’re given…accept it and use it.

Don’t ever apologize for who you are, regardless of whether you agree with me or not. I have much more respect for confidence than I do for meekness.

5. You’re a non-conformist…great…now what? What are you rebelling against? Why are you rebelling?

Every generation has a set of people that become rebels. We all think we’re the first, but sadly, we’re not.

Don’t rebel for the sake of rebellion, instead, find something that you don’t like and fix it. You’ve built an army of devotees, now take them to battle!

Idle armies are extremely dangerous, especially during times of peace. Don’t build an army unless you absolutely need to.

Rebellion isn’t a brand. What happens when your rebellion becomes normal?

6. Similar to #4. Men and women are different, it’s a fact. This blog is heavily male-centric, well…unless you’re an Ayn Rand fan. Is it because I don’t like women or have too much testosterone?

Nope.

It’s because I’m a man and that’s the only way I know how to be. I’d love to have a woman write her side of the coin (that’s an open invitation), but I’m not Tootsie.

“isms” exist to show us which side of the fence we belong on. As long as there are humans, there will always be fences. Not because we’re flawed, not because the classists and elitists are holding people down, but because others won’t step up. It’s easier to call names than to make change.

7. This is a side effect of the psychology society. “My contribution doesn’t matter as long as I’m being me.” “If you don’t like me the way I am, then that’s your problem.”

Bullshit

There’s a difference between playing the cards you’re dealt and not engaging in any sort of self-examination. Maybe you really are being an ass.

Maybe you are being selfish. Maybe you are being short sighted.

I admit quite freely that I’m an ass and that sometimes I need to tone it down. Sometimes I go too far, and even though I hate hearing it…I have to look at myself and see where it’s coming from.

When my wife comes to me with a complaint, I can either ignore it and risk losing the relationship, or I can take a look and see how I can change without compromising my ideals. No one ever said you have to compromise your integrity (we’ll get to that in a minute) in order to get along with other people.

8. What happens when your revolution works? Are you ready to lead?

9. The expression goes like this: “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”

Just because everyone else is cutting their noses off doesn’t mean you have to do the same. There are some that see it as their moral imperative to bring others down so that they can lift others up. This is a result of the blame and/or welfare society.

Instead of looking to others to blame, why not look at yourself for a solution? As Steven Pressfield cleverly points out in his great book, the War of Art, people do this because they can’t face down their own resistance. It makes them mad that you have.

The opening quote of this post is from Ayn Rand’s character Howard Roark in the Fountainhead. He’s on trial for maintaining his integrity…the integrity of his work, his belief, and his mission. He refused to cut his nose off to please others. In his world, it’s not his job to sacrifice himself in order to come down to your level. It’s your job to bring yourself up to his level.

10. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Some systems work well. Don’t change them just because you can. However, if you run a platform based on change, you better deliver it. Instead of wasting energy on needless change…why not spend it creating something new?

So many people start off this way, talking about how they are going to be different marketers, but in the end, they wind up getting sucked in to the same trap as everyone else. “I’m different, I’m going to change the world!” (as soon as I’m done chasing easy money by selling the same thing that everyone else is, but packaged in a different way).

Your Empire at Risk

You don’t build an empire by sacrificing who you are or who you want to become. You don’t build an empire by talking about things…you build it through action. The people that are making change are the people that are taking action so that they have the power to make the change.

The difference between people like John Lennon, Mother Theresa, or Gandhi and everyone else is that the former actually got off their ass and did something. They actually lived their dharma…they didn’t just talk about it.

My question to you is:

“Do you have the courage to live your dharma, or are you just here to talk about it?”

Final Note: This post was not written in response to any single blog, post, or idea, but rather, is a collection of ideas gathered over time from my travels across the web. Take it for what it’s worth.

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Butterflies and Rainbows are Deadlier than the Plague is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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This is a guest post by Ivan Walsh in response to Joseph Ratliff’s post last week, entitled “Do You Following the Rules?“

‘Are we really rebels?’ asks Joseph.

In the 1953 movie, The Wild One, Marlon Brando and his Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, a group of boisterous bikers led by Brando, invade the small town of Wrightsville during a motorcycle race.

When a girl confronts him “What are you rebelling against, Johnny?”, Brando answers, “What do you got?”

This is the mindset of a rebel. Show me what you got and I’ll tell you why I don’t want it. It’s the classic strength and weakness dilemma that each rebel faces.

‘I want to be different. But, once I become different, then I’m just like those guys over there.’

Your back where you started. Want some examples?

Brando started as a rebel and ended up playing Superman’s dad. His mega contract broke all records.

DeNiro made Mean Streets and Taxi Driver in the 70s. Now he does Meet The Fockers. Your Grannie would love it.

Tupac was the real deal until he started duetting with… Elton John.

You get the idea. But…Joseph has a point. You can turn ‘Rebel Yell’ to your advantage. Whether you sell out or not, that’s up to you.

How To Be A Real Rebel Blogger

Remember what Joseph’s asked, ‘Are we really rebels?’ It depends on your definition and how far you want to take it. You really want to be a rebel blogger? Here’s how to do it:

1. Anti Hero. Think Howard Stern, Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison, or whoever rocks your boat. You can’t please everyone. If you do, you’re not doing it right. Create conflict. Make enemies. Be controversial.

2. Divide Opinion. Identify a topic that divides public opinion. Examine people who hold extreme beliefs. See what motivates them. They usually feel slighted, excluded and/or oppressed.

3. Social Exclusion. Identify with people who feel society has failed them. For example, divorced dads who can’t get access to their kids.

4. Create Targets. Set a goal that your followers can relate to. For example, organize a nationwide protest march to Washington DC.

5. Siege Mentality. Prove to your followers that the world is against them, that we need to pull together and every setback is an opportunity to work harder.

6. Give Hope. Encourage your fans by sharing success stories. Examples of where things are working and that positive changes have occurred.

7. Brand it. Hells Angels, Nascar, and Scientologists. They all develop strong brand ‘values’. While you don’t care about these, those on the ‘inside’ do.

So, where does this leave us?

Joseph’s last point was, ‘Are you following the rules, or creating them?’

And this is the most interesting part for me. How each of us approaches this area determines our future earnings, personal happiness and social status.

Maybe you don’t care about these, but I think you do. We all want to be different, but not too different, because then, y’know, people think your strange.

The last word goes to the late Frank Zappa.

In the 60s, it was still frowned upon for men to have long hair. During a TV interview, Joe Pyne insulted Zappa by saying, “So I guess your long hair makes you a woman.” Zappa allegedly replied, “So I guess your wooden leg makes you a table.”

What do you think? Fire away below.

Ivan Walsh helps introverts make money. Curious? Visit his site: http://www.ivanwalsh.com

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The Marlon Brando Guide to Rebel Blogging is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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Editors Note: This is a guest post written by Joseph Ratliff, who I’ve come to know pretty well thanks to some fantastic conversation in the members area and in other places around the web. Joe is a guy, that like me, loves to keep it real…and you can tell from his writing that he’s not going to take any prisoners when he creates his own empire. That being said, if you’d like to challenge him, or any of us, with a guest post of your own, then send me an email and we’ll make it happen.

As entrepreneurs, because we don’t follow some traditional “rules”, we’re sometimes thought of as “rebels.”

That thought makes me vomit in my mouth every time I hear it. What are we really “rebelling” against? Let’s analyze that for a minute:

• We must be rebels because we “think differently”, instead of following some pre-determined “standard ways” to live set by society that are older than my grandpa.

• We must be rebels because, for the most part, we hold ourselves accountable to improve, instead of looking to blame other people and institutions for our shortcomings.

• We must be rebels because we actually took the initiative and supposed “risk” to want to work from home or create a business in a real world where you “need to get a good job” according to society. I use the term “risk” lightly, because it’s actually riskier to hold a single income at a job that dictates our lifestyle…but don’t tell anyone that because you’ll really be labeled a rebel.

• And on, and on…

Are we really rebels?

Or is that just a term used by society in general to describe us?

Should we even accept that description as the “norm”?

Or, should we raise the bar as entrepreneurs?

I think we should raise the bar.

I think that every time we get the chance, we should encourage others to join us as entrepreneurs. Sounds cult-like I know…but think about it for a second…what really happened to your quality of life when you “took the leap” as society describes it?

Most of the entrepreneurs I talk to won’t ever give it up, even when the chips are down.

Personally, my quality of life improved drastically once I realized that working 8 hours a day really ISN’T required (who wrote that “rule” anyhow?).

Sure, we have our long days, but it’s at our discretion as entrepreneurs…not some stupid “work for work’s sake” mantra.

So…I ask you the question again…

Are we really rebels? Or, should we be the ones setting the standard?

And one last thought…

Are you following the rules, or creating them?

A BONUS THOUGHT:

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase “think outside the box” right? If you “think outside the box” as an employee, and sometimes as an entrepreneur, you typically get praise or recognition of some sort.

My bonus thought for you today is…was there really a box to think outside of in the first place?

Joseph Ratliff is a direct response copywriter, internet marketing strategy expert, and author of Success Is Straight In Front Of You (PDF), a compilation of popular business success articles and forum postings.  You can read more, including 5 Reasons Why Your Internet Business WILL Fail This Year at http://josephratliff.com

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“Peace is Every Step.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Those are the words of a very enlightened man, and when I read them, it serves as a strong reminder that peace is not something to be waited for, but something to be achieved.

It bothers the hell out of me that there are so many people walking through this world as a ghost walks through walls. Life…each day of it…serving merely as an obstacle that bars passage to greater things.

They’re 16, 30, 50, 60, and 100 years old…age doesn’t matter. The similarity is not the situation, but the opposition…the grief and the heartache.

It’s this sort of sadness and futility that leads to much darker things, but the tragedy of it all is not what could become, but that it can all be avoided.

Grieving Your Death

Life is distracting.

As children, we wake each morning reaching towards the sun…stretching our limits, our minds, and our perceptions. There’s nothing we can’t achieve, and the only thing we’re waiting for is the ability to fly.

But then something horrible happens.

• School beats it out of us.
• Good grades.
• Careers.
• Religion.

Walls, like prison cells, slowly lock us away from our dreams.

We’re told to be realistic, and so we get distracted by the “normal” stuff.

Suddenly…years have passed and we’re living a shell of a life, and we can’t figure out why we’re miserable.

Suddenly you’re “too old” or “too far gone” to achieve your dreams. You’re grieving the death of your soul while you still live.

In order to live a life that you design, you need to sacrifice that part of yourself that holds you back and get rid of the martyr complex.

Yeah, it sucks…but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. It’s time to stop focusing on the negative and instead, start believing.

Waiting for a Hero

In other parts of the world, there are people waiting for someone to rescue them. They’re just trying to make it through today so that tomorrow can be better.

But “peace is every step.”

There is no hero coming for you. No one is going to give you permission to fly.

You already have wings…you simply need to remember how to use them.

You are never too far gone to be where you need to be. There’s no such thing as it being too late to be happy.

We have but one life to live…why spend any of it being miserable?

The healing begins when you take responsibility for your own success and happiness.

Redemption takes place when you forgive yourself for not being perfect.

Success comes only for those that have the courage to step out and dare to try. There’s no room at the top for complainers, whiners, and non-doers.

Every Day is a New 24 Hours

I lifted this one from Thich Nhat Hanh too, because it’s perfect for what we’re saying here.

You don’t need to have had a perfect past to have a perfect future. Today is the best chance you’ll ever have to make a change.

Make it.

I’m tired of hearing excuses for why people can’t be happy. I hear them all the time from friends, family, peers, and people across the web.

Excuses don’t buy happiness, and no one is going to feel sorry for you that you didn’t have the courage to step up and Reclaim Your Dreams.

Today is a brand new day, let’s make it count.

It’s never too late for redemption. Your empire awaits.

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This post will draw a direct comparison between building credibility as an authority blogger and a horrific psychology experiment involving near-lethal electrocution.

In 1961, Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram devised a provocative and downright scary social experiment.

Volunteers were ushered into a small room with a set of switches and a microphone – where, under the guidance of a lab-coated scientist, they would perform simple memory tests on another volunteer.

This 2nd “Learner” volunteer was located in an isolated room – communication from “Teacher” to “Learner” was via a microphone and speaker only.

Sounds fairly standard, boring psychology stuff – except that the scientist Experimenter directed the Teacher to administer increasingly lethal electric shocks to the Learner… whenever he or she failed the memory exercises.

The set up looked a little like this:

A switchboard connected to electrodes gave the Teacher (T) the power to administer shocks to the Learner (L). The Experimenter (E) instructed the Teacher to deliver the shocks whenever the Learner incorrectly answered the memory exercise questions.

Those red buttons are increasing voltage amounts – all the way to 450V!

Sounds horrible, but what does it have to do with blogging?

The experiment was a sham.

Milgram was secretly testing whether normal, balanced members of society would deliver painful electric shocks to an innocent victim… just because they’re being told to do it by a scientist.

A scientist in a lab coat.

The true experiment only included one volunteer because the “Learner” was a paid actor, not connected to any electrodes, but screaming out convincingly on cue.

The clueless volunteer would read off basic memory challenges over the microphone. The actor would deliver a “wrong” answer and the Experimenter would set the voltage level and ask the Teacher to push the big red button!

Over the speaker system, the learner would endure the noisy screams of pain from the other room.

Once they subsided, they would be asked to “continue with the experiment”, move on to the next question, up the voltage and deliver more shocks for wrong answers.

The horrendous results

Most people who hear about the Milgram experiment believe that they wouldn’t respond. They believe they have the brains to tell the “scientist” to f*** off and stop torturing people in the name of science.

It’s kind of like how 95% of car owners consider their driving skills “above average”.

When polled, Milgram’s psychology class believed only 1.2% of participants would finish the experiment all the way to deliver shocks of a lethal 450 volts.
The reality? The test revealed that sixty five percent of the clueless participants followed the scientist’s instructions all the way.

Every single volunteer did question the experiment. They received one of four replies from the scientist:

1. Please continue.

2. The experiment requires that you continue.

3. It is absolutely essential that you continue.

You have no other choice, you must go on.

If the volunteer wished to stop after receiving all four statements, the experiment was halted.

65% of volunteers did not stop.

What the hell does this mean for bloggers?!!

The one learning to take away from this horrible experiment is that everyone will respond to authority.

In this instance, people were being asked to deliberately harm an innocent person (or so they thought) and yet they did it.

They did it because a man with spectacles, a beard and white lab coat told them to.

If you’re trying to make it big as a blogger – or with any kind of business, you can tap into the same power… Not to persuade people to electrocute others, but to get them to buy your stuff!

The toothpaste companies have known about the Milgram experiment for years… why else do you think they dress their commercial actors in lab coats?

The advertising people want you to believe that the “three kinds of cleaning power” were developed by guys with glasses. They’re telling you, this is what you must buy!

The Milgram experiment got a 65% conversion rate. You should be able to do better than that, because you won’t be asking your prospects to hurt anyone when they become customers.

Of course, you probably don’t have the same authority as a scientist. The bad news is, it’s not going to be as easy as putting on a lab coat.

The good news?

If you want to tap into the psychological power of the Milgram experiment, just ask yourself this:

What is my lab coat?

What can you do so that when you say:

“It’s absolutely essential that you buy”

… people know it’s the right choice to make?

Who can you become so that when you say:

“Please continue… sign up for my newsletter.”

… everyone knows it’s a good thing to do?

Don’t under estimate the power of authority

At the end of the Milgram experiment, volunteers were always informed, practical joke style, of what had happened. They’d go meet the actor (who was probably rolling on the floor laughing).

They all learnt something about themselves that day. You can bet they all thought long and hard about how they respond to authority.

If you ever misuse your authority for evil, you’ll lose it. The authority figures worth paying attention to are those who help people grow.

In the world of blogging & business, a small handful of people have mastered the psychology of authority to help thousands.

Now it’s your turn. Where’s your lab coat?

Peter Shallard is the Shrink for Entrepreneurs. He’s stayed hidden (working hard) as therapist & consultant to a select handful of mega-successful entrepreneurs. Now for the first time, he’s publicly shedding light on the psychology of business success at his blog.

The Dark & Sinister Science of Authority Blogging is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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There are too many experts. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone knows how to do it right.

It doesn’t take any more than a domain and a basic WordPress installation to become an expert.

Hell, in many cases, you don’t even have to back up what you’re saying because most comment sections are like a cheerleading camp anyway.

“Great post!”

Was it really, or are you just saying that because

A) You’re blinded by the hive mind

or

B) You didn’t even read the post…a few headlines, then straight to the comment section

This is where the fraud occurs

It’s kind of funny really. We’re helping each other commit fraud on a daily basis.

There are thousands of bloggers and marketers that don’t know a thing, but they’re great at pretending.

And instead of people calling them out on it, they run around with the “nice post” line because it’s easier than arguing. As a result, there are millions of blogs being published that you have to compete with.

Does this happen in the brick and mortar world? No…it doesn’t.

If some dude opens a shop down the street for selling coffee, but the coffee sucks, then he’s not going to stay in business.

But that doesn’t happen here. It’s the opposite. Anyone with a domain name and a blog can post a bunch of nonsense and claim it as fact. They can find a dozen or so people that will agree with them no matter what they say, and then suddenly there is a movement of mis-information.

Then suddenly, you have thousands of disillusioned bloggers that are doing everything they’re supposed to be doing, but failing miserably.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Eat too much

It’s very difficult to compete on this scale. People just can’t get enough content…

So we mass produce it. It doesn’t matter if it’s garbage, people still want it. This is why Rupert Murdoch is pissed off…because two-bit hacks are pretending to report the news and worse yet…they’re getting away with it.

But we want more, so people keep writing it. There’s no accountability…apparently everything is great.

Even if you take away all of the shitty content, there’s still a lot of good content to compete with. And here’s the thing…people say that this matters to them…that by creating good content every day you’re making their life better. They “appreciate” it, right?

I’m not so sure

With this much content…this much to consume…there isn’t any time for loyalty. The minute you charge for something is the minute that people find someone else to read. We have to feed the hog…a minute without content is like a day without food. What happens when we have to sit down and stop consuming…start producing?

It’s painful, so we keep feeding the hog. It doesn’t matter that you’ve given me free content every day for a year…the minute you charge, I’m outta here. It doesn’t matter if the replacement is worth a shit…at least it’s free.

Tell me I’m wrong?

Redrawing

Those who can’t…teach.

Do you know why guys like Chris Brogan and Gary Vaynerchuk are redrawing right now? It’s because they’ve been competing with this garbage on it’s level. They were caught in the same trap that you and I get caught in…they thought that being good mattered. That having pure intentions, caring, and sharing mattered…but they ended up burned out and frustrated.

So what are they doing now? They’re putting their heads down and digging in hardcore. They’re changing their focus. They’re shifting. And it’s so good to see because this is where they can blow people out of the water.

Joe Blow might be able to compete with Chris or Gary on the content side, but when it comes to the place where talent matters, Joe Blow gets his ass kicked. Joe Blow doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he can talk a good game…so he blogs.

Meanwhile, true gamers like Chris and Gary are going back to the streets and getting their hustle on. No one can compete with them there, and you’ll see it.

This is why I say that those who can’t teach.

Those that can are too busy building businesses to spend time doing that. Every once in a while, we can suck guys like Gary and Chris back down to our level…try to hold them in reach for a bit…but eventually they’ll wise up and start blazing new trails once more…leaving behind those that can’t hack it.

There’s not enough time for everything when big things happen…something will take a hit. The self-righteous will complain, but they always do anyway.

I think we’ll see these guys emerge from this fray with more focus and direction than ever. I fully expect both of them to come out of the woods looking like Gandalf did after his battle with the Balrog. Recognizable, but on an entirely different level.

And it’s not just these guys that are making the transformation. There’s an entire movement brewing, and even though it’s not ready to reveal itself, I think you’ll see something soon.  We just can’t go on like this.

So if you are a true gamer, it’s time to get your hustle on.

Let’s get back to work. It’s leveling time.

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Those Who Can’t – Teach is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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