Tony Teegarden (Dot) Com

Turn Your Problems into Profits

Written by Tony Teegarden 56 Comments

You’ve Never Been More Ready Than Now

Young friends lined up ready for racer

My Message To You

“I can appreciate your opinion but you’ll have to pardon me if I don’t heed your advice, my give o’ shit meter is broken.“

If you want to Create change in your life, experience personal freedom and make a difference in peoples lives you’ll have to not give a damn what the majority of people think right now.

You want to start a new business?

Do the research and start it.

Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of people tell you, “Are you nuts? The Economy is horrible right now!”

Point them to your broken give o’ shit meter.

The fact is there are more people starting businesses right now in the U.S. than when the DotCom explosion went down and a big reason is long term unemployment in the united states is at a 46% increase. The highest it’s ever been. (Don’t let the recent 400,000 + new jobs fool you. They were short term census jobs)

Right now there is no better time than now to embrace change because it’s coming whether we like it or not.

The better news is that right now there has never been more available information, more collaborative tools, more mentors to coach & support you and more overall opportunity than right now.

You’ve never been more ready than right now to move into a new direction.

You’ve never been more prepared than you are right now based on all of your successes and even more importantly, all of your failures.

Those failures learning experiences have taught you a lot about yourself haven’t they? Think about it. They’ve taught you that you can get back up after one and be that much more wiser and confident.

Well I’m hooking you up with what I call some new thought downloads via TED Talks to assist in arming yourself mentally for change and growth. These 3 videos have inspired the hell out of me in moving forward with my own business recently and I hope they do the same for you.

Oh and you don’t even have to leave the page to watch the videos below. Just hover your mouse over the link and the video pops up for you. Aren’t I nice? 🙂

1. Chris Guillebeau

Fear and Permission (run time [18:00])

“If you really wanted to acknowledge your fear and and get over it, at some point you have to be willing to step up on the stage…whatever the stage represents in your life.”

“Fear and anxiety is just repeatedly experiencing failure in advance.“-Seth Godin

“If you want to really do something great, if you really want to overcome fear you have to start by giving yourself permission.”

My Biggest Take Away:

  1. Become aware I have a give o’ shit meter to begin with. It’s ok, we all have one. It’s just a matter of if I’m going to break it and do what I want anyway. I really liked the concept of the freedom we experienced as a kid with a permission slip and writing myself one today.
  2. It’s not the big picture that scares me, it’s all the little details around the big picture that keeps me fearful.
  3. Saying goodbye to my routines and knowing what my day is going to be like. It can be scary as hell but at the same time necessary for change and liberating once actually you do it.

2. Simon Sinek

How great leaders inspire action (run time [18:02])

“If you don’t know why you do what you do, and people respond to why you do what you do, how will you will ever get anyone to vote for you, or buy something or more importantly, be loyal and want to be a part of  what you do.”

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

“If you talk about what you believe, you’ll attract those who believe what you believe.”

“The innovators and early adopters, their comfortable making those gut decisions, their more comfortable making those intuitive decisions that are driven by what they believe about the world…”

My Biggest Take Away:

  1. Take the time to get clear on why you do what you do
  2. Align yourself with people who believe what you believe
  3. What you do proves what you believe
  4. This video inspired me to push myself over the edge to more consciously craft value for others.

3. David Logan

Tribal Leadership (run time [16:32])

“…to find someone who is a member of a tribe, and find someone who is part of another tribe and introduce them. That is what great tribal leaders do.”

“As people see the world, so they behave. well if people see the world in such a way that life sucks, then their behavior will follow automatically.”

“When individuals come together and find something that unites them that’s greater than their individual competence then something very important happens, the group gels and it changes from a group of highly motivated but fairly individually centric people into something larger, into a tribe that becomes aware of it’s own existence.”

My Biggest Take Away:

  1. Where there is no road map it’s peoples values and a noble cause within the group that lead them
  2. Leaders are Fluent at all 5 Tribal stages (Gotta watch the video)
  3. What kind of impact is my tribe I’m a part of making?
  4. Am I introducing tribal members to other tribes?
  5. I can do a much better job of moving the tribe towards a bigger cause

In Closing

I believe all of these videos lead from one to the other and are inherently connected in their messages.

  1. Give yourself permission to lead yourself
  2. Discover what drives you, why it drives you and learn how to communicate it so that others buy into it and you’re able to inspire action
  3. Use what you’ve learned from Chris and Simon in order to move tribes through the stages in order to connect them together and create great change via common values and a cause

And finally an ending thought I snapped up on Twitter last night:

“Experience matters more than education. Highlight things you have *done*, not skills you’ve learned.“- Jordan Cooper

Don’t just learn the stuff I share and file it away as, “Ok I know that now.”

Put it into useful purposeful action. I’m doing so as I speak and some of you have already started helping.  I can’t wait to get From Fear to Freedom‘s message to the masses, which brings me back to my opening message.

You’ve never been more ready than right now to experience your personal freedom and do what the hell you want to do.

Do you know why you aren’t doing it?

Break your give a shit meter. Who cares!

It’s the one broken tool that can be incredibly powerful in moving you internally from fear to your freedom. Go ahead and give yourself permission to move!

What is your biggest take away from today’s post?

If you’ve declared to break the give o’ shit meter drop the hammer down on it by leaving a comment about your biggest take away in the comments section below.  Oh, and do us all favor by forwarding this post to someone you care about!

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Comments

  1. Karen Ruby says

    Hi Tony,

    I've seen Chris' video but not the other two. I'm always looking to be motivated and inspired so thanks for pointing them out.

    This is particularly true “now to embrace change because it’s coming whether we like it or not.” Nothing stays in the same in life so we might as well be the masters of our own lives, than be the slaves of someone elses. I always think about that, particularly when I feel outside pressure. I know that if I don't decide the course of my own life, then I'm at the mercy of someone else's agenda. Someone who does know what they want out of life and what they need to do.

    I also think it's great advice not to let other people affect our thinking so much that they alter the course of what we want for our own lives. You only have one life, so live it!

    Thanks for sharing such great insights,
    Karen

  2. Tony Teegarden says

    Awesome Karen! I'm glad I could share the other two vids with you. I'm a TED nut and there's way too many good speakers to ever really get to.

    “I know that if I don't decide the course of my own life, then I'm at the mercy of someone else's agenda”

    Well said, I'm glad you're “doing” rather than just following blindly.

    Glad you dug the post!

  3. Uzma says

    What a great post , thank u . . I especially liked knowing the 'why' of what we do, and that fear and anxiety are failure in advance. Great post. Gonna listen to the speakers now. Thanx a lot

  4. Tony Teegarden says

    You're so very welcome Uzma. I have to admit Simon Sinek's video resonated with me big time. It's probably one of my most favorite videos this year.

    I love this from your bio on your blog:

    “I have learned that every minute in creation is God’s sheer Grace, that difficulty teaches us, so our spirits may grow -till there is no difficulty at all, only peace in every high and apparent low.”

    Beautifully said my friend 🙂

  5. Tony Teegarden says

    All good Andy, consider them reinforcement of what you learned 🙂

    Glad you dig the “meter” man. It's the only broken thing in my arsenal that I'm thankful is broken lol.

    Rock on brother and thanks for stopping contributing!

  8. Simon Sinek says

    Tony – thank you for sharing my TEDx Talk with your readers and, more importantly, for joining this movement to inspire people to do the things that inspire them. Your blog really touches on two essential criteria about starting a business and setting oneself on a path to be inspired every day.

    1. Confidence. I think Henry Ford said it best, “if you think you can or you think you can't, your right.” So much of starting a business or affecting change is the confidence and courage to simply try.

    2. Community. Success is a team sport. We don't succeed because we're the best at everything, we succeed because those around us who believe in us support us, encourage us and protect us. The clearer we are about our Why, about our purpose, cause or belief, the more likely people who believe what we believe will be drawn to us. And when that happens, the more people there are to help us, support us and encourage us.

    Your Why is clear and I wish you nothing but good fortune in finding those who believe what you believe to help you build your cause.

    – Simon

  17. Tony Teegarden says

    #1 Simon you're welcome. #2 Wow thanks for stopping by and contributing.

    This really resonated with me:

    “So much of starting a business or affecting change is the confidence and courage to simply try.”

    From Fear to Freedom embraces that exact point. Having the courage to engage!

    “The clearer we are about our Why, or about our purpose, cause or belief, the more likely people who believe what we believe will be drawn to us.”

    I had no idea you or Chris would take the time to stop by but it's clear that by stepping behind my cause and bringing my Why to the table great connections can occurred. Your contributing here today is a great example.

    Thank you for the inspiration and kind words. Awesome!

  22. Andy Fossett says

    I hadn't seen these talks before, which is a shame because they nail much of what I went through over the past year.

    The concept of the give a shit o' meter is golden in its own right. Count on me stealing that.

    Thanks.

  23. Uzma says

    Hi Tony.
    Thank u so much for visiting my simple blog. What you said is very touching. God bless. The blog just started out as a vehicle for creative expression but I am discovering its also becoming a path to creating warm friendships. Thank u for the appreciation. Looking forward to reading more motivating writing from you. Take care

  33. Mars Dorian says

    well, I'm not from the States, but we are in the exact situation here in Europe.
    It's soo hard for most people to get a job, and I see more and more people doing their own things via the internet. This is actually the best time to start your online business, be it coaching or anything else.

    The first 2 videos kick-ass. I especially watched Simon's “why” several times, it's essential for every entrepreneur. I'm glad I don't know the third one, because that's the one I will check out now.

    Keep rocking. Can't wait for your nexxt.

  34. Tony Teegarden says

    Yes brother I'm keeping up big time with what's going on in Europe and you're right, it's no better if not worse in some places. We have to all work together in order to keep things together.

    I have to admit my buddy Ryan sent that video of Simon's out and I've watched it no less than 13x's. Seriously it's that powerful so I totally get why you've watched it several times.

    Thanks a ton for your feedback brother and I can't wait to see what I have to say next lol.

  35. ThereseMiu says

    Hi Tony,
    I love this article. It’s quite different from your other ones. And once again we must be on the same wavelength because I was telling Jeff last night that for the entire month of August I want to dedicate the month in interviewing different business owners, entrepreneurs, the movers and shakers about how they are holding it down during these economic times. I love your post though because it allowed me to see my future as limitless and to embrace all the current changes. It’s not the “out there” economy that matters but the economy “inside our minds.” Everything starts within. We must ALL take responsibility for our future. I’ll be honest and tell you that I can’t view the video right now. But I get home around 7pm (10pm EST) and I’ll make sure to watch it.
    I know any videos you recommend is bound to shift my mindset and take my knowledge to new heights of possibilities.
    Thanks Tony for giving so generously each and every time.

    I appreciate you very much!

  36. Tony Teegarden says

    So glad you took the time to read it Therese. Once you watch the videos tell me if you're not totally blown away by the messages and the tie between all of them. I know you'll get a ton of value from their messages.

    Let me know your thoughts and I look forward to seeing your interviews!

  37. Marie says

    Hi, Tony –

    As my hair is becoming grayer, I'm learning that I'm happiest when I do what I want to do . . . because when I do what “they” want me to do, “they” don't notice . . . so, it is a waste of time. Besides, I'm a pretty cool boss to myself!

    – Marie (Coming Out of the Trees)

  38. Tony Teegarden says

    You know Maria I've got some “grey” to point to as well, and I have to agree with you completely. I've visited you blog many times, I'd say you're pretty cool “Period.” lol.

    Thanks for your contribution as always. 🙂

  39. prolificliving says

    Ah doing what we want and not being pinned down to the norm, can this topic be any more popular? Yet it is one we need the MOST reminder about! Hey Tony, have you thought about creating videos yourself? I would like to hear you speak, and if you can do it as strongly as you write, it is a gift to develop and to share for sure!
    I will listen to the videos at my first chance, I will admit I have to go run and prep for my own speech on Values and Leadership for Toastmasters….wish me luck! I'll be thinking about the inspiration from this post!

  40. Tony Teegarden says

    Farnoosh, so glad you stopped by 🙂

    Yes I did a stretch of videos in late '08 and through out early '09 but I slacked off because well, it's a lot of work at times lol. Funny though because I'm doing some video AS we speak! I've got a few cool videos planned for not only the blog but for my From Fear to Freedom ebook.

    Let me know your thoughts on the videos in this post when you get a chance to see them. They are super powerful! Have a great day and again thanks for stopping in 🙂

  41. prolificliving says

    I just watched Chris's speech and he is BRILLIANT – a fantastic speaker, very easy, very real, very honest. I love the story and I am so very happy to have come across it. Going to share it with my husband and friends. Thank you Tony!

  42. Tony Teegarden says

    Yes it's quite awesome. Hence where I got the give o shit meter idea from 😉

    I'm glad you're sharing it! Wait till you watch Simon Sineks video. It's one of my super faves too!

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