I have to admit it was a rant. I saw yet another post from a familiar self-help thought leader inviting me to ‘crush it’. Inspired by the rants that are common in that genre, I tweeted my own:
The tweet even has the typo that signals a rant. This tweet has got a far greater reaction than anything else I have shared. Why? People don’t want to ‘crush it’ – whatever that bro-speak means. The commonest comment is thanking me for being real and speaking a widely shared truth. People want to be real. They want real connection. The commodity that is most missed in this era of hype and instant fame is the simplest & potentially the easiest to achieve- purposeful work in respectful relationships with people from whom we can learn.
Purposeful Work
What the thought leader crowd don’t get is that achievement is fleeting. It is why they are so needy. If you have to be number one or if you have to monetise there is always a threat to your success. It cannot endure. Someone will always crush it better than you eventually.
Help someone else and they stay helped. Nobody can take away your impact. It’s not a race or a competition. It is a human contribution that helps make a rich human life.
Respectful Relationships
There is a shortage of both respect and genuine relationships at the moment. Both are deeply needed for our souls and our sanity. When shouting is the way to get attention, we all appreciate the quiet voice of respect.
Relationships are more than transactions. They are based in deep understanding and they endure. They are rich with human qualities like trust and generosity. It doesn’t matter whether these respectful relationships are online or offline, at home or at work, in business or in civil society. We need more in all arenas.
A Chance to Learn.
Nobody is born perfect. Nobody has realised their full human potential. Realising potential is a shared human endeavour.
We need to learn and grow in communities. We need the support and collaboration of others to achieve anything close to our potential.
We need less crushing it and empty noise. We need to focus our efforts on our purpose, our relationships and realising our human potential. It’s as simple and as complex as that. The response to my tweet suggests that the desire to do that work is widespread.
Muy interesante.