Toronto, September 6, 2010
Welcome back, it’s time to get working. July and August are just distant memories but September is here and it’s now.
So are you recharged? Are you regenerated? Are you ready to rock your world? Because that’s what it’s going to take. It’s about being amazing because that’s what your best clients and customers expect. Customer satisfaction is the starting point not the aspiration. The aspiration is Customer Amazement, no matter what industry you’re in.
I’ve had an amazing summer. And it’s not because I visited amazing places – which I did. It’s because of the amazing interactions I had with so many amazing people. From London, England to Gaspe, Quebec, I talked with people who dream of miracles. And so did you. Maybe your folks declared the pursuit of miracles as their goal, or maybe their intentions were described in a different manner. But everyone wants a miracle, whether they consciously know it or not.
The Collins English Dictionary describes a miracle as “ a person or thing or event that is a marvelous example of something.” And who doesn’t want that? In fact, by that definition, not only can we pursue miracles, we can be them. What are you a marvelous example of? Parenthood? Professionalism? Partnership? Passion? Partying? Proactivity? There must be something. Find it. Be it. In my case, I hope you’ve noticed – it’s talking. I live to talk and I talk to live. My life is one long, engrossing conversation. And the fact that I can have it with you right here, right now when I’m not even in front of you is another massive miracle.
Hannah Arendt, the renowned German-American philosopher, described a miracle as follows: The new always happens against the overwhelming odds of statistical laws and their probability, which for all practical, everyday purposes amounts to certainty; the new therefore always appears in the guise of a miracle.
So we all want the “new” to be miraculous, not miserable. In the face of overwhelm, frustration and fatigue, we want a future that’s fabulous. We want to look forward to what tomorrow brings, not dread it. And yet, our research shows that only one out of four people truly look forward to the future. The rest are mixed in their emotions. They’re tentative about it. Of course they have things they anticipate with pleasure, but their overall outlook is colored with skepticism, uncertainty and doubt. New is not necessarily a good thing because it carries with it the possibility of mistakes, failure, hardships, more work and hard work.
What does “New” mean to you? Are you New? Or are you same old? Are you just tried and tested? Or are you prepared and powerful? And that’s where my message really begins.
Last week, I conducted a workshop with the amazing people from the Halifax Port Authority in a place called Pier 21, located in the Halifax Ocean Terminal. The Pier was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants and refugees from Europe and elsewhere from 1928 until 1971. It has been called Canada’s Ellis Island. It has also been called the Gateway to Canada.
As an immigrant myself, I can imagine the sense of awe and amazement experienced by the newcomers as they stepped off the boats into the new world. I can see them looking around in fear and fascination. They knew there was no going back. They knew the past was literally behind them, thousands of miles away. And so their future began that day.
Today is Gateway Day. It’s the day you walk through your own Pier 21. It’s the day you choose to look at everything around you as though you’ve just stepped off the boat into your new world. Look at things like you’ve never looked at them before. Look at people like you’ve never looked at them before. See everyone as your fellow immigrants into the new world.
Help others see new possibilities where previously they may only have seen problems. We’re all mirrors and lights to each other. Without each other, we have no bearing. Our interactivity is the essence of our functionality. Isolation leads to insanity.
So be a Catalyst. According to the Random House Dictionary, a Catalyst is someone whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. I love that definition. It’s the ultimate secret of success in a single sentence. If that’s who you are, that’s whom other people will be for you – multiplied by an order of magnitude. It’s the Law of Reciprocation and it’s exponential. You don’t get an eye for an eye. You get an entire radar system.
Now that I’ve shared with you who you need to be, let’s talk about how you can be that person. It’s simple but it isn’t easy. You can only get there if you believe in miracles because that’s what it’s going to take – a person or thing or event that is a marvelous example of something. And that person or thing or event has to be you. Are you up for it?
Then here’s Lipkin’s 7-step Gateway Plan:
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1. Survive: If you’ve made it this far, you’ll survive. You’re designed to survive. You’ve got the smarts, the strength and the will to survive. You’ll always find a way to survive. Survival is a given. Extinction is not an option. So relax. And move on.
2. Believe in your mission: Are you just laying bricks, or are you building a cathedral? Every Catalyst I know is on a mission. They’re playing a bigger game. They’re driven by a higher purpose. They’re out to amaze the world. They’re crazy for their cause. Mine is exciting thousands of people into powerful action. My friend, Dani, is building the Great Canadian Brand. Another friend, Erez, is educating children by enabling their access to computers. Yet another, Karen, is building an enterprise that grows an entire regional economy by growing her people. What’s yours? If your mission is bigger than you, you grow. If it’s not, you’ll merely survive.
3. Love Your Reality: Your context is decisive. It’s not your circumstances that shape you, it’s how you interpret them. So love them. Your current reality is the only one you have. You’ve created it through who you’ve been and the choices you’ve made. Yes, you’ve created it. And you can change it – in a heartbeat. Accept accountability. And be the miracle you’re waiting for.
4. Build your knowledge and skills today: I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. There are no shortcuts. Without skills-mastery, you don’t stand a chance. You have to be the best at what you do. That’s why I’m building my communication skills with this video. And that’s why I’m always hungry for more knowledge. What’s your subject matter expertise and how can you enhance it today.
5. Create your Personal Method: Your Personal Method is your strategy for continual success. It’s how you apply your knowledge and skills every day to achieve amazing results. So the Tim Horton’s method is “Always Fresh”. The Apple Method is “Beautifully Functional Design”. The Jamie Oliver Method is “Simple, Healthy and Delicious”. My Method is “Always Be Excited” because I know I do great and I magnetize great to me when I’m excited. What’s yours?
6. Act like you mean it, right now: This is the step that everything else is merely preparing you for. It’s how you walk your talk. It’s the only step that others can see. We judge ourselves by our intentions but others judge us by our actions. The more we do the right things right, the more things turn out right. So act now. Adapt as you go. And remember: it doesn’t matter whether you feel like doing it. What matters it what you must do and how you need to do it to amaze and delight others. I know it’s a big ask, but I also know you’re up for it, right?
7. Measure, Monitor, Listen and Learn: Every day is our life in miniature. And every day is an opportunity to begin all over again with the wisdom gathered from the day before. So measure your results, monitor your evolution, encourage feedback and listen intensely to others. Learning is oxygen for the mind so breathe easy.
That’s it for now. Be a Gateway to a whole new realm of possibility. And revel in the miracles that follow.
