This weeks blog as one post for those who like to catch up.
So There I Was, BBQ Sauce All Over My Titties.
I’ve been in weirder circumstances than this; you should ask about the time I dated a witch who was definitely NOT A STRIPPER, but that’s a story for another day.
So, yes, BBQ Sauce, this may be the world’s worst way to open a sermon for church, but I could smash a speech to hundreds of CrossFit Gym Owners with that opener, which is exactly what I’m about to do.
I’m in Stockholm, Sweden, to present my ideas on gym ownership to European gym owners. I don’t know if you’ve spoken to a bunch of strangers, but it can give you the jitters.
But not these guys.
Not this crowd.
I could literally open this thing with “BBQ sauce on my CAT’s titties, and it would be a hit. And no, I don’t own a cat. I don’t allow evil spirits in my home.
You’ve got to be a little crazy to start a business, so it helps to have a sense of humor. CrossFit Gym owners are opening businesses to impact others and sacrifice their time, money, and sanity in the process. If this audience didn’t start with a good sense of humor, they have one now.
Anyway, I’m not here to sound victim-ish. We all choose this path we’re on, and I’m just a guy about to go on stage and have forgotten my opener. As I develop a new one, I’ll share some of the principles that have helped me in business ownership and can help you.
Principle #1. It’s not about you.
Everything someone says or does is not about you. It’s about them. I mean everything. There’s a filter of experiences, trauma, habits, and personality that our actions go through before reaching the world outside us. Even if someone says it’s about you or your fault, it’s still more about them than you. Don’t take it personally.
Principle #2 There is always tomorrow.
I have this impending sense of doom whenever a traffic light turns yellow, a project isn’t done on time, or my great-grandma calls me.
We should take most of our anxiety from finishing unfinishable tasks and apply it towards creating more room in our schedule tomorrow. Gam-gam has been dead for years, so I have no fix for the phone calls…
Principle# 3 Most people don’t care. The rest want you to be happy/successful.
Social media convinced us all that we have an audience. That every view was someone paying attention, and every like was thoughtful. One of my FB posts has been shared on over 200 websites and counting… the only people who brought it up in person were my family, my friends, my friend’s friends, and Sarah Mills from CrossFit Seminar Staff in downtown Madison, WI.
I’d bet money all of these people would still talk to me and want the best for me if I never wrote that post. The strangers who raved about it online have yet to send me envelopes of money or subscribe to my OnlyFans.
Jeff’s Math:
69% of people you worry about don’t care. 1% might want bad things for you. The rest want to see you happy and successful. The last group is the only one you should rent the room in your head to.
69%… Noice.
Principle #4 Your standards determine your happiness.
When a business owner brings me a tough decision they’re facing, My favorite question to them is, “What do you deserve?”
It’s all the important questions rolled into one.
-What have you worked hard for?
-How many nights of sleep have you lost?
-How many times have you taken responsibility and given credit?
-When have you kept going when most would have folded?
You don’t only WANT to be healthy and happy. You DESERVE it.
You don’t have to EARN dignity. You DESERVE it.
You don’t need to sacrifice what matters to you to make others happy. You DESERVE to have both.
It’s always simpler than it seems. But simple is hard, and It means setting boundaries and having hard conversations. That’s why we’d rather shroud happiness in complexity, endless self-help books, and constantly “figuring it out” instead of hard, simple action.
Complex is easy because we’ll never do anything with it.
Simple is hard, and simple happiness requires setting standards for yourself that you won’t compromise.
Principle #5 Finally, Forgive Yourself A Little.
If, seven years ago, you messed something up big. Like REAL big…like DINOSAUR, and you consider that the human body replaces all of its cells every seven years, did you still f*ck up?
How conflicting is it that I write, “forgive yourself, buddy!” Immediately after, “You need to hold standards!”
Listen. I’ve made enough mistakes for three people. I’ve learned my lesson, then jumped right back into the Chuck-E-Cheese ball pit of shame all over again…multiple times.
We all do this.
I want you to beat yourself up less.
The world will do that for you.
When you forgive your mistakes, you free your energy to redeem the past, restore your present, and build a future.
We should hold more grace, forgive ourselves, and not wait seven years to do it. I need your tips on my OnlyFans today. @jrjuchaXxbutterly_man_meatxX
