Interesting ideas with Stan Hustad

One of my great mentors who achieved worldwide significance and achievements had a model for life that he credited with sustaining him in all that went in to a life well lived and all of the difficulties that come to any life.  He said that I was determined to make everything and that happened to me and everyone who connected with me useful.  No matter what good or bad difficult or easy, everything can be helpful and useful in some way.

And I was reminded of that model in life slogan went in deep embarrassment instead of being able to pay my share of an afternoon cup of coffee because I had lost a $20 bill.  So with your permission give me about 10 minutes to tell you that story and see if it might be helpful and useful to you.

 Like most people who give talks I'm usually asked to give it to hopefully impressive little résumé they can be used in my introduction to the audience. I don't like to do that but usually the organization insists. And so I have a fairly impressive little curriculum of my life and work. But one time I made a deal and after the person introduce me I came forward and I grabbed a piece of paper out of their hands smiled at them and then tore it up and said who cares?  Because I know the truth of life hardly anybody cares.  

In this little 10 minute program that I did seven years ago I have resurrected it and put it in the program with an update but it is important and relevant today because if you want to be successful you have to understand that what you say and what you do and how you do it and what your business is all about, practically nobody cares.  Billions of dollars have been lost and are lost every year because people who care a great deal about their product and service spend a lot of money trying to get other people to care about their offerings products and services. When in fact what is true is that no one cares. So let me give you a few ideas and how you can deal with that deal.  If you don't understand this in this year and in this life you're gonna make life a lot harder for you and sometimes even for others.

 It's not the usual kind of book that makes the New York times best seller list but there it is.  Media personality Harris Faulkner has written a deeply moving and in some ways confronting book about her life and what she believes.  She is now bold beautiful and courageous and speaks with the confidence of somebody who has been deeply touched in some very unique ways.  As I often say, many people are different by degree but some people are different and kind. She is one of those. Truly what I call a 3% person.  So I took about 15 minutes to tell you a little bit about what I got from her story and how it challenged me and now I'm challenging you to perhaps live differently because you are different, very different.

 From my long ago and long-lost youth there was a song that kept saying, "the bird is the word."  And I'm not quite sure what that meant.  But I am a big believer in the word or a word. As I suggested just a few days ago one of the words that should be for you this year is YES.  Say yes to a lot of things and a lot of opportunities and even be able to say yes because I can handle it does some difficulties and adversities.

But I was reminded of an old custom something that I used to do when I would give myself a slogan or a slogan logo for the new year.  I haven't done that lately because I think I ran out of things to say. Or at least new things to say.  

But the one word challenge got me thinking and I came up with a crucial word that will be important this year because it is so lacking in our society today and so I am going to take 15 minutes to tell you some of the stories about a word that just might be helpful and useful and fruitful and profitable for you in the difficult year that is before us.  So I dare you to listen.

Barbara Walters was a media star who had been in failing health for sometime and had not made a public appearance at all in recent times. She died on Saturday surrounded by family and friends.  There have been a number of tributes to her already that most of you have heard and she certainly did have a well-deserved star reputation and in many ways has left quite a legacy.

She was indeed one of the pioneers who was able to break the ceiling that had kept women out of the mass media news marketplace.  But there's far more to her story than what you heard in the news. Many years ago she wrote a small book that gave some indication of the secret of her success. The book was published in 1974 and was well received and was one of the books that I learned a great deal that help me as a business performance coach and as a broadcaster. And actually it would be helpful to anybody today who is seeking to make their mark in the marketplace.

So in 15 minutes give me time to tell you a little bit about that secret and then tell you a remarkable story about how she was smart enough and brave enough to break through and make her mark.  By the way the little book that she wrote over 49 years ago is now out of print but you can still get one for almost $300.  That's part of the story and so you need on this first working day of the new year to take time to hear this story.

Today a former Pope died and a famous broadcaster also passed away. The years do that to us all. May I suggest that you avoid the traditional often stupid stuff that people do on this day of the year. No, don't say happy new year because there's no way you can have any assurance of that. No, don't drink too much. Perhaps it might be a good idea not to drink at all. And I never party anymore. And may I suggest just some new different ways that you might want to spend today and tomorrow doing things that might make a difference for you and your business in the future before us.

 Perhaps by now all of your get ready for Christmas stuff is done and so now you are getting ready to relax and celebrate. With your permission may I share with you something that came to me yesterday and I was deeply moved by it, and in the next 10 minutes... Here's the remarkable story that, yes, God needed a woman!

 As a longtime business performance coach I've taught people around the world this great truth. Storytelling is the only effective means of communication. If you want people to really attend to you and listen to you you need to know about the very principle that Jesus used all the time.  Ask questions and tell stories!

So on this Christmas Eve Eve can I share with you two stories. The first one deals with the now world famous and often repeated Christmas program about the cartoon and comic character of Charlie Brown's Christmas.  And when the creator of Charlie Brown, Charles Schulz produced the program the people at CBS were furious.  They said it was terrible but they had to play it at least once because of a contract.  Guess what happened.  Well let me tell you that Christmas story.

And then a repeat just like Charlie Brown. and the story that I first told a number of years ago which has become well requested and in 10 minutes we try and have a little storytelling homily about what it might mean if by some act or a miracle or Grace we could indeed be Touched by an Angel.

You just might find it a bit touching and maybe a little bit encouraging.

He was an amazing man who taught me a great deal, and perhaps in some ways save my life or at least my way of living. And his wisdom and teaching was profound and new and unusual and still is. And  of all things he passed away on Christmas Eve and so every time at this part of the year there is a little bit of mourning as well as a celebration of his life in my life.  Indeed he taught this rather foolish young man how important it was to live in tension... To indeed be intentional about seeking tension.  Because in seeking and embracing tension we get to live out some of the most creative moments and ideas in our life.  

Yes, the Christmas season is about comfort and joy but it's also about crisis and tension and if you are truly a grown-up there will be times in your life where you welcome both and learn to make a good choice and learn how to respond, and perhaps learn how to live in a way that is not only different in degree from most people but maybe even different and kind.

Again the program is just about 17 minutes and I challenge you take time to hear the stories and then to create your own future stories in the year that is before you.

 Please copy this statement down which is in bold letters... A touch of mystery combined with deep authenticity is great power.   Please make a copy of that and post it somewhere.  And then based on over 40 years in broadcasting and 25+ years as a world wide business performance coach may I also challenge you with this quote that hit me right across the head as I was teaching philosophy to high school kids.  The problem is that all of us grow older but most of us never grow up.

Well with those two ideas to get you started may I suggest that one of the keys to success is what I call the M3P principle.  Let me introduce you to the principles and life enhancing ideas that could make you a better leader, a better entrepreneur and maybe even a better person in 2023. And definitely what the world needs now is more grown-ups.

I think the whole program comes in under 17 minutes and it's definitely worthwhile for you to listen to.