Humble yourself to opportunities and you shall receive

Gaping Void Art
Serendipitous Gaping Void (my fav cartoonist Hugh McLeod) cartoon yesterday.

 

Humble yourself to opportunities and you shall receive.

They qualified for my best keynote Speech fee because:

  • It’s in Orlando
  • There are no travel expenses
  • They paid 100% upfront

However, their contracted speaker’s fee was only a third of my best, local price.

And therefore, i wasn’t gonna be a possibility for them, even though they were desperate.

And they were seriously desperate.

Sixty people with plane tickets coming in for the annual conference.

i picked the right thing to do.

Their fee was honored – a price i would never accept normally.

We had less than 24 hours to make this work.

i worked hard to make it work.

They needed a hero.

Knowing this, how could i deny them?

 

• • • • •

This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

If you want to stay on this site and read more posts from this Blog, click here.

 

Jay jay, blue jay, small j

Disney Birthday button
You know how to tell if someone wrote this for me?

 

i don’t capitalize my name, not even the j.

A daily reminder to live in humility.

It began years ago while i was still at Disney.

• • • • •

This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

If you want to stay on this site and read more posts from this Blog, click here.

 

The original tagline at jeff noel.org

Minnie Mouse at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Not everyone is comfortable with walking away.

 

The original tagline at jeff noel.org from 2008…

Surrender • Self-control • Service

Eight years later, it still rings true.

Whomever can walk away from a deal holds the upper hand when negotiating.

Surrendering a business opportunity instead of fighting desperately to make it work is glorious. It is also humbling. And peaceful.

Walk and act with humility. Even in business.

And, because you have nothing to lose, try some radical approach.

 

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This website is about our spiritual health. To leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s career health website, click here.

 

On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.

 

It was a glorious lesson in humility and consistency

jeff noel business card
Planned photo yesterday, to make next week’s client smile unexpectedly. One of her Company’s properties near Magic Kingdom.

 

Unplanned photo yesterday, while waiting at busy intersection.
Unplanned photo yesterday while running, waiting at a busy intersection for the light to change.

 

With the Grace of God, i was blessed to see the plank in my eye yesterday. A rare and exquisite gift.

The school crossing guard made a presumptuous remark about my patience in waiting for the light to change so i could cross the busy intersection.

Thirty minutes before she arrived, the crossing light for walking wasn’t working.

By now though, the police and crossing guards were working together (like they do every school morning) to manage the busy intersection near Magic Kingdom.

Then i saw the police officer directing traffic through a red light so i asked the guard if the traffic lights were not working properly? If they weren’t i would simply use good judgement to cross, rather than wait for the light.

She said, “You just need to be patient and wait.”

Because i was on the tail end of the nine-mile run, i was actually enjoying the extended wait/break.

i got defensive (blindly) with her and went on a direct, matter of fact riff about why i wasn’t being impatient.

Then it hit me, i was impatient with her presumption.

And i didn’t need to be.

In fact, because i (blindly) wasn’t patient with her – and caught myself – i was able to apologize and ask for her forgiveness.

It was a glorious lesson in humility and consistency.

And then i worried about how often i don’t catch myself.

 

__________

 

 

On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.

This website is about our spiritual health. To leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s career health website, click here.

 

Prayed that i would (and will) remain humble

Jon Gordon speaker
Watched Jon speak yesterday. We talked for about 15 minutes prior to his speech. Super nice guy.

 

It’s easy for a competitor to judge their competition. It’s human nature to get defensive as well as to inflate our own self-worth.

Stay humble. Stay positive. Stay focused. Stay driven. Have fun. And serve, and speak, like you mean it.

 

__________

 

 

On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.

This website is about our spiritual health. To leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s career health website, click here.