Brian and I have been following Perry Marshall on business money management and marketing for several years. Often brilliant, witty, funny and inspirational; sometimes he posts something that just makes me say “WOW! that’s awesome.” Here is one in that category that he recently emailed to me and gave me permission to share:
“We are FOR individualism, accomplishment and excellence.
We are AGAINST the mediocrity, self pity, negativity and discouragement of the news media and of “normal” people sleepwalking through life.
We are FOR alchemy. We believe that there is everywhere lead waiting to be transformed into gold. Opportunity hides literally under every rock and shade tree.
We are AGAINST scarcity that says that everything you receive was forcibly taken from somebody else. Entrepreneurship is about making new pies, not dividing up old ones.
We are FOR you, regardless of mistakes you’ve made. Whatever stupidity spasms you’ve had in the past don’t matter. If you owe $100,000 and you’re scraping change out of your car seats for lunch today… if every time you pick up the kids at your ex’s apartment you’re accused of being a devil… we are still FOR you.
We are AGAINST complainers, fault-finders and critics. It’s easy to criticize. It’s hard to take action. But in the end, only action-takers make history.
We are FOR marching into every battle prepared and engaged and equipped to fight.
We are AGAINST all who would send soldiers into battle armed with plastic swords and helmets.
We are FOR those who take responsibility to arm themselves and invest in quality weapons and tools needed for battle.
We are AGAINST those who think that it is someone else’s responsibility to prepare them for business or life or give them a “free” education.
We are FOR the wise use of technology. We are for every tool that makes you more productive and more effective and more able to serve others.
We are AGAINST using technology to abuse people, spam them, or dehumanize them. We use technology to express individuality, not erase it.
We are FOR gratitude and celebration under every circumstance. No matter how many times you fail, the sunrise still comes tomorrow morning. Autumn leaves still radiate brilliance in the fall and lovely flowers grow in the spring. No matter what befalls you, the world is still a beautiful place.
We are AGAINST the crippling belief that the past dictates the future. We know that if you can look up, you can get up.
We are FOR gifts and giftedness. We are for expertise and specialization. We acknowledge that each of us wields precious talents. We sharpen our skills. We discover ways to delegate the rest to those who have different gifts than us.
We are AGAINST the belief that any one person has to do everything or be everything.
We are FOR human ingenuity because it’s the mother of all natural resources.
We are AGAINST the false belief that finite physical resources mean finite possibilities.
We are FOR the hand of Providence. We are humble enough to request help when we need it.
We are AGAINST the self-deception and pride that says we’re smart enough to figure it all out by ourselves.
We are FOR innovations, developments and paradigm shifts. We transport the future into the present.
We are AGAINST “business as usual” passivity and lazy “wait and see” attitudes. We are proactive.
We are FOR timeless principles and age-old wisdom. We study the ancient masters and respect those who have come before us.
We are AGAINST those who destroy the old simply because it is old. We judge ideas by their value and permanence, not by their age.
We are FOR making every minute count.
We are AGAINST time-vampires, time wasters and time killers.
We are FOR entrepreneurs and all who move resources from areas of low value to areas of high value.
We are AGAINST those who de-value business and burden us with excessive responsibilities, taxes and restrictions.
We are FOR communities, networks and relationships. We recognize that for every problem that needs to be solved, there is someone we can turn to who has already solved it.
We are AGAINST loneliness, isolation and discouragement. We know that the #1 cause of failure is lack of accountability, community and wise counsel. We know there is no such thing as a self-made man. Everyone has a father and a mother and everyone comes from a tribe.
We are FOR the daily discovery and unfolding of our personal destiny.
We are AGAINST the limitations imposed by other peoples’ judgments and prejudice.
We are FOR your individual performance, accomplishments and achievement.
We are AGAINST everyone who says you should apologize for your success.
We are FOR the Golden Rule. The highest level of conducting business is loving your customers.
We are AGAINST those who sell things to strangers that they would never sell to their friends.
We are FOR recreation, creativity and refreshment. We believe that friendships, rest and fun fuel our life force and nourish our creative engines.
We are AGAINST slavish devotion to anything, including our work. We do not live to work. We work to live.”
Perry Marshall