They are true every year.
“ 1. People don’t care what you know, they care about how you make them feel.
Taking that extra 5 minutes can impact that person’s life for the next 5 years.
They only need one person to believe in them. Be that person.
Set people up to win.
Don’t be an as*hole.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
It’s the last day of the year and social media will be littered with photos of highlights from everybody’s “best year yet”. This is fine, seriously.
But my final message of 2022 isn’t going to me in a tight pair of yoga pants enticing you to look at the “mountain view” in the background so you can see how awesome my year was.
Nor am I going to try to convince you how perfect my life is.
My message isn’t even going to be something cutting edge or new despite consuming and learning a ton this year.
My final message is 5 simple truths that I’ve known for a long time, but were reaffirmed this year, like they are every year.
1. People don’t care what you know, they care how you make them feel.
Nobody, seriously nobody cares how much you know. They don’t care about your degrees, certifications, book collection, or about your ability to store information in your (larger than theirs) brain. They care about one thing. How you make them feel. For this reason prioritize not projecting superiority, but projecting knowledge in a way that tastefully helps and serves them. Make it about THEM. Let them be the main character.
2. Taking that extra 5 minutes can impact that person’s life for the next 5 years.
We’re all busy, right? At least that’s excuse we make when it comes to blowing somebody off so we can go play on our phones. Being intentional about taking the extra time to service someone’s needs/questions/etc. can have dramatic impacts not only in the micro moment, but the macro perspective of their life. Give them the 5 minutes.
3. They only need 1 person to believe in them. Be that person.
You and I are likely where we are or aren’t today because of someone(s) who did or didn’t believe in us. If you have any resemblance of success today, its likely because of the support of someone else. There is somebody out there who’s success in life hinges on someone’s belief in them. Go be that person. It’s how you change the world.
4. Set people up to win.
This life isn’t about me. It’s not about you, either. It’s about them. True success is not measured by what or how much we have, but how much impact we have on the lives of others. Selflessness is a superpower and it only requires mindfulness and effort. Make it about them.
5. Don’t be an as*hole.
This one is really easy, but often screwed up because of the default setting of selfishness. We are hardwired to believe it’s us vs. them. It isn’t. If you want to be a difference maker, shift your default setting to kindness and empathy. Sure, it takes work, but it’s far more valuable to the world than being an asshole. Kindness rocks.
Have a great 2023!
