17. Make a list of all the things you need to be truly happy and keep it really short.
This one is really important so I’m going to ask you, respectfully, to really think about this.
We always confuse our needs and our wants. My short list would be … sufficient funds to keep my family safe and poised. My health. No debt. Absolutely everything else is great, but I didn’t even put my cabin on that list. My cabin isn’t a need, it’s a lovely reward.
18. Be flexible.
Everything changes, sometimes on a dime, go with the flow and see no. 19 …
19. Control what you can control.
You won’t win all the time, but you will most of the time. There is no planning for a bad bounce. Having said that, the more prepared you are, the more easily you can be flexible. Often times, the new or unexpected is perceived as a problem because you needed the situation to work out one way.
When I am off flying all over the place, I keep one thing in mind … If I’m easy going, this is going to be easy. With thanks to Dr. Kevin Elko for that.
20. Don’t stand in front of a hurricane, and don’t fight city hall.
Don’t pick fights you can’t win. Let it go. You can’t want it more than the person who is frustrating you. I had to stop watching the news. it wasn’t good for me. I like to be informed but not furious.
21. When you can, always leave a little extra.
People love a surprise, so give them one. A cousin of mine has done very well in the restaurant business. He is independently wealthy and he is in his mid 30s, which is impressive. I asked him once what the most important/significant secret was that he could share.
“Make sure the fries hit the counter.” You want people to feel that they received “a lot” and not “enough.”
When I’m speaking, I go in early. I share a talk, and I linger to meet the people in the audience. The very last impression I want to make on the person who paid me to speak, or who sat patiently to listen, is that I am in a rush to get somewhere else.
Have a good one, see you next Tuesday.