When I spoke at Northwestern University last week, a parent of one of the students who came to hear me speak asked me if I did commencement addresses….I wish.
The Chicago Tribune published a bunch of commencement addresses for the season and I particularly liked this part of Bill Cosby’s:
Whatever it is you’re going for, you show up. Don’t make yourself nervous about something. If you know your stuff, then show up. Don’t talk yourself into being that person that no one wants to see. Failure is easy. No problem, it’s a bungee jump. And so is your showing up for everything. Your showing up for the exam, your showing up for the audition, your showing up for whatever work your going to do. It is not for you to doubt. It is not for you to say ‘But what if it falls over?’ because you are headed in that direction of you think that way.
I see this alot when I help companies with their sales process. Many people decide that the customer will not buy what they are selling at a given price. I always say that is not for you to decide for the customer..let them decide for you. Don’t assume no one wil buy it. You will be surprised by what customers will pay for value.
