The essence of our existence lies in the perpetual state of transformation.
As we navigate the unpredictable currents of life, we are shaped and moulded, either constantly evolving or regressing.
It’s a choice.
Change is the only constant.
Embrace it or suffer eternally.
Was recently explaining to one of my $16k coaching clients the numerous factors and aspects involved in storytelling at the master level…
And chiefly, ABOVE all else -
BEFORE you start telling anyone about anything…
The FIRST thing you need to do
Is ASSESS your audience & establish:
A - HOW MUCH CONTEXT do I need to add? Time period. Location (broad), location (specific), Characters. Their relationship to you. Their role in the given environment. Etc etc
B - HOW FAMILIAR ARE THEY with the subject at hand. How long have they been studying/practicing/working in/involved in the thing you’re talking about. What jargon needs to be explained. What concepts need to be elaborated on. How deeply do you need to link causes with their effects.
If you fail to take A into account?
You’ll lose their attention. The picture you paint will either be foggy (too little) OR painfully boring (too much).
If you fail to take B into account?
You will destroy all rapport with them. You’ll either be speaking at a level that goes way over their head (concepts not explained well enough) OR you’ll insult/offend them by assuming they’re a beginner (too many concepts explained) while giving a subtext of “I have not done any due diligence in understanding how much you already know, either BECAUSE I don’t care OR because I can’t see it. I’m either rude or ignorant.”
Here’s a magical line for B that will save your ass:
“As you know…”
As you know allows you to explain concepts to people that already know them for the sake of emphasising certain points in the story.
This works well to actually BUILD rapport because it says “I know you’re not dumb and respect your knowledge here.”
Trump does this very well, with a line of
“[Concept/Subject] … and you’d probably know that better than anyone, right?”
10/10 line.
Also very useful when talking to a mixed crowd, is:
“As most/some of you already know.. [explain concept at beginner level for the noobs in the room.]”
It is absolutely paramount. Before you tell a story, ask yourself and ASSESS YOUR AUDIENCE:
How much context do I need to lay down?
How deeply do I need to explain the concepts involved?
This is the FIRST aspect to master if you want to be an elite storyteller, public speaker, and persuader.
CONTEXT & CONCEPTS.
Namaste.
"The first thing the intellect does with an object is to class it along with something else.
But any object that is infinitely important to us and awakens our devotion feels to us also as if it must be sui generis and unique.
Probably a crab would be filled with a sense of personal outrage if it could hear us class it without ado or apology as a crustacean, and thus dispose of it.
"I am no such thing,"
it would say; "I am MYSELF, MYSELF alone."
William James
Smokers have 50% less Parkinson's disease. Smokers also have 50% less prostate cancer, 50% less uterine cancer (or endometrial cancer), 50% less ulcerative colitis, and 30% less colon cancer. What if everything the’ve told us about tobacco is a lie
A line that repeats non-stop in my head, while at the gym:
is Dorian Yates saying:
“If it’s in your capacity… it won’t change you.”
Heard it once. Has kicked my ass ever since.
You hear it during every rep of every set.
No bitching out. Push PAST.
Applies to so many facets.
“I have found that you have only to take that one step toward the gods, and they will then take ten steps toward you.
That step, the heroic first step of the journey, is out of, or over the edge of, your boundaries, and it often must be taken before you know that you will.”
Joseph Campbell
Some of the greatest authors to have ever lived wrote not “just” fiction. They were projecting a spirit. They were creating the etheric structures necessary to call forth the embodiment of an avatar…
For a man to have a vision for society, he must have the beliefs and qualities of a KING
he may never call himself this openly, but he must believe it.
This requires a distinct level of courage, moral calibration, and orientation that your company and life is for the service of the world and you are an agent to make it better and actively control it and exert your will on reality
-none of the founders or operators of major tech companies think that way.
The only one that does is Elon.
What will be, will be.
A very true line. However - it makes no commentary on the fact that you have always have the ability to exercise THE CHOICE to actively participate in bringing things into being.
Do you understand?