These are a bunch of ideas on what the "pebblestorm story" or introduction would cover.  I started these notes before doing the HUB call in November, as a way to gather my thoughts.  I'm going to revisit them before my Yanik Silver webinar in early december.  What's needed - a series of images...

 

when they talk announce yourself.  what is a childlike or silly talent or hobby you'd like to bring into your worklife?

 

We're in the midst of a powerful change in the energy of business, in the conversation of business. 

It's a shift from promotion to attraction. 

From greed to meaning.

You can see the signs around you and in you.

Of the people you know who have started companies in the past year, how many are doing it mainly for the money, and how many are creating businesses of inspiration, that intend to do well by doing good?

And in yourself, how are you feeling about the idea of working just to make a lot of money, without further meaning, versus finding a work calling that combines both financial success and makes a positive difference in the world or the people around you?

 

This shift isn't painless.  What's going on in the markets today are an indication of the shift.  It's necessary though, to shake people out of their stupor.  We've been coasting.  We've been sleeping through life and work, just collecting paychecks, income, capital gains, distributions.  We're starting to wake up though, wake up to what's important, what makes us human and happy.   What is life without enjoyment?  What if you treated your work as your life?  Because it is, in the sense that you are still you from 9-5.  There isn't a different you that goes to work and can be frustrated, and then leave it all behind to be mr or ms happy. 

 

overview

 

where we are today, high level.  We're at "awareness"

 1. awareness of what's possible

 2. understanding of how to get there

 3. support in your actions to move forward

 

2nd three elements: making it happen

1. "what is your dream business?"  reflect on your dream business until you realize you can't not work on it (commitment)

2. take babysteps (including throwing rocks)

3. practice patience  (be patient while it manifests)

 

Goal: how can you enjoy every day at work, do what you do best, in a meaningful way?

 

Example:

* Maverick Business Adventures, Yanik Silver

* PebbleStorm

 

Unique Genius is your talent, lever

Dream Business is the manifestation of your unique genius, a company, org, book, etc.

Doesnt' matter which you visualize first - one will give you clues to the other

 

* Don't quit your dayjob if you need income, start this on the side

* It will take years to manifest fully, so practice patience.  patience creates time.

* What is meaningful? Get bigger problems

 

Fear is the enemy.  Courage = commitment + babysteps.

 

Questions

 

questions to start the conversation-

 

* if success was guaranteed of success, money is no object, what would you do?

* what did you want to do when you were 8?

* who are you jealous of?

 

"what would your dream business look like"

- puzzle pieces, clues, names, who would you serve, who would you work with, where would it be?

 

"what is your unique genius?"  

things that you love, are talented at, and add meaning to your life (by helping others)

 

 

FINISH:

Create momentum incrementally

Babysteps - URLs, names, even just schedule lunch with a friend to talk about it

Work through my Unique Genius worksheet

PebbleStorm Sharing Circles

Meditate

Journal, or find some way to express yourself (even if it's just to yourself)...video, blog, art...

 

 

 

 

 

Three Topics:

1. My story (10min)

2. Concepts (10min)

3. Things you can try (10min)

My Story

• Past success did not create enduring enjoyment

* Am I doing what I do best?

* Am I doing something that I feel is meaningful?

* Am I enjoying each workday?

• What would it look like if that was my worklife?
• Self-manifesto, 5^th Option, unique genius

 

 

Concepts

• New v old energy (path v river)
• Work through enjoyment, in all ways
• Fear is ok, and everyone feels it in different forms (guilt, jealousy, loneliness…)
  • Hold no guilt
• Fear outlets – laughing, creating/writing, sharing / support groups…
• Time, Patience, years.  A life work.
• Don’t quit your dayjob
• Ebb & Flow
• 5 Stages: Reflect, Play, Attract, Package, Receive

 

 

Moving forward:

• Unique genius worksheet – what are your puzzle pieces, clues?
• How can you mash your passions?
• Babysteps
• Throw a rock
• “If I can only do 3 things (or 2, or 1)…”
• Meditation

 

 

 

Some people can look at me, my bio, and think "he's been very successful".  Perhaps, and as much as I appreciate everything I've experienced in the past, I haven't felt that I was really pursuing something meaningful. Then, last year, in 2007, I joined a venture capital firm as an EIR (entrepreneur-in-residence), which means they host you for awhile (say 6-12 months), while you figure out what you want to do next  - start a company? Join a company? 

Along the way, I realized I did not want to start another software company, and follow the typical silicon valley way.  I also didn't want to join a big company, be a consultant or work at a nonprofit. I also reflected on what was important to me - what did I want to do with my life?   I considered three questions, specifically related to work:

* Am I doing what I do best?

* Am I doing something that I feel is meaningful?

* Am I enjoying each workday?

And if not, how could I create a working life in which the answer is yes to all three?

This led me to do two things:

1) Write my own "self-manifesto" on what I wanted with my life.  I took a blank sheet of paper, and just started listing out what I loved to do and what I wanted to do. Examples:

1. Be in control of the work/business, not have it be in control of me. I don’t want to be a slave to a company, even one that I start.
2. Work on what I want, when I want, with whom I want.
3. Make the biggest impact with the least effort. Eliminate or outsource low-value activities.
4. Enjoy work, by working from a place of desire, not obligation or ego

2) I defined my "5th Option" around what my ideal working world would be.  For me, I wanted the wealth of owning a business, the freedom of a consultant, the passion of an artist/nonprofit, AND the security and stability of a large company.  What this meant was, a business that was built around my own passions that generated plenty of passive income.

And then, once I had a clear enough vision of what I wanted, I began to think about how I could create it.  It's hard to be clear on what you want to create, in business or in life, unless you're clear on what you want.  It's like going up to a juicebar counter to order something to drink...and the person behind the counter just sits there waiting for you to decide.  At some point, perhaps he just gives you something handy out of pity, since he can see that you're thirsty!  But it's probably not what you really wanted.  And you complain - but can you blame the server for giving you something you didn't want, after you couldn't tell him really what you wanted?

The idea of Unique Genius came to me: that everyone has some inner set of enjoyments that they love to practice, are talented at, and add meaning to their life.  For myself, it’s “to help people make money through enjoyment”, manifested as PebbleStorm.

 

Once I had enough clarity around what I wanted, PebbleStorm began taking shape as the means to get there.  I honestly felt, and feel, as though I'm downloading information from another place. It's not uncommon for me to wonder "where are these ideas coming from??"

 

what do we really love to do, and how can i make it work?

once you know what you want, you can begin to create it

 

 

being truly selfish means we want to create a situation to enable us to make a bigger difference to more people

CONCEPTS

- New work energy - masculine v feminine

  Old energy: Path.  When you stop walking, work stops.

  New energy: River. When you stop paddling, you keep moving.  Think of your worklife as an infinite river…so if you’re always unhappy with where you are or your pace, you’ll never be happy.  Sometimes there will be rapids, sometimes calms. Sometimes you’ll want to paddle faster, sometimes float with the current…just pay attention to what the right pace is at that time.

- Enjoyment - we are here to enjoy life and be happy. If your work is not contributing to your happiness, something is wrong.  Work through enjoyment, rather than persistence and struggle.

- Cultural creatives – right brainers rule the world

- Patience – impatience is the dissatisfaction of what we have. It’s ok to be happy with what you have, and yet appreciate there is more to come.  Impatience = lack of enjoyment.

- I don’t believe in get rich quick

- Fear - it's ok to be afraid, to feel fear, to feel down. Holding guilt about it just makes it worse, since guilt is another form of fear. Realize it's normal and it will pass. Everyone, every speaker who has been on HUB, including myself, has similar feelings - even today.  The more clear your vision is, the easier it will be to enjoy it and be confident in its manifestation, and the less fear you will have. (bigger the dream, more intense the fears/doubts...which can undermine us.  really it's just about overcoming doubts and fears.  hence the support system)

- Support groups

- Fear outlets - laughter, writing, sharing

- Ebb & Flow - there will always be an ebb and a flow with your work. Sometimes you'll feel energized to work on your ideas, your business, and sometimes you won't. Pay attention to yourself, to when you need a rest or to let something ebb for awhile. It's ok to let it go for awhile. If it's real, it'll come back to you. 

THINGS YOU CAN TRY

Unique Genius -

What are you talented at, that you love to do, and it adds meaning to your life?   What are the puzzle pieces, the clues? 

Sample questions:

* Assuming you had plenty of money, what would you do for free, that would add meaning to your life?

* Who are you jealous of?  Who do you tell "i want to be like you when i want to grow up?"

* What are your hobbies?

* What did you want to do when you were 8 years old?

* What do people keep coming to you for advice about?

- Start thinking about how you could mash your passions- list out what you love to do and how you could combine them

- Babysteps - what would be the smallest little thing you can do next to move things forward? Reserve a URL?  Write down a few blog topic ideas?  Think babysteps.

- Throw a rock - another way to move things forward is to just throw a rock into the stream.

- "If I can only do 3 (or 2, or 1) things today"

- Meditation – I find meditation has been extremely helpful in helping ideas crystallize, to tap into your subconscious, your ascendant self, source.

 

Balancing business and humanitarian

- Can you combine them?  Sometimes you can, sometimes perhaps not.  Perhaps you create a scholarship fund of some kind through the business.

 

 

 

 

Story from someone else:

"Ideal Scene" exercise on 30th bday

5 years had passed

imagined what my life would look like

- i have a successful publishing company

"i do what i love and i have what i want, and i do it in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way, and for the highest benefit of all"