“No matter how much of a bad-@$$ you think you are, there’ll always be someone in the bar that can kick your @$$” - Mr. Saurs, 7th-grade science teacher.
While an incredible intellectual and entrepreneur, Francis Lyons, Emmy Award-winning producer, founding partner of @Truepic, and CEO and Founder of @ooPoll, has profound insights outside and beyond the business realm.
When asked what one piece of wisdom he has carried with himself throughout his journey, he shared the quote above and explained how he's taken it as a reminder that “you can never take yourself too seriously.”
Here are the biggest takeaways from our sit-down conversation, during which we discussed topics ranging from the Social Media Epidemic to life itself.
Respect AND Share Your Thoughts
When asked what drives him, Lyons responded with a touching call back to his parents and the encouragement he always received to be himself, share his thoughts, and always respect others. This propelled him to try new things and challenge what needed reassessment. It gave him the courage to “go for it” when decisions were clouded with uncertainty.
If this is done properly, everyone around you will hold you in esteem and enjoy being around you. This becomes invaluable when your genius strikes and the time to share your perspective arrives. On that day, they will be willing to listen, they will encourage your creativity, and the next step will be just that much easier.
Solve Problems, Keep Learning, and Pay It Forward.
Lyons has been determined, keeping the previous point in mind, to pass along what his parents and upbringing provided for him. He emphasized numerous times throughout our discussion how we must always keep learning and trying to solve problems—something perhaps many of us “know” but become passive about or do out of wrong motives.
What sets this thinking apart from just “self-improvement” jargon is the last portion, the “paying it forward.” If you learned just to learn, cool, you may be a better person. If you solved your problems nicely, you might have an easier life. But if you learned, solved, and then paid it forward, you suddenly become a change-maker, a grower of good. And that matters more than the accolades. That's where your time should be sown.
There’ll Always Be Someone In The Bar That Can Kick Y our @$$
In professional settings, we often need to catch up on how much fun life can be. Remembering that there is always someone who is perhaps better than you at something is a reminder that you can’t take life too seriously. Yes, keep your head up and trek on, but if you take a hit, embrace the shock and get back up.
Have fun with it; the road will be made easier if you do.
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Business and life are intertwined, and meaningful experiences in both realms always come back to the person you choose to be.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to discuss these insights with Mr. Lyons.
Be the person this week who respects and shares, solves problems, always learns, and then pays it forward, all while having fun and not taking yourself “too” seriously.
- Making The Most Of Being Curious
Daniel J. Cuesta
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