Here is a sure-fire way to find out the TRUTH.
As a kid, I played a game called “Mike Tyson’s Punch Out” on the original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). In real life, Mike Tyson was an insane boxer to watch; a man full of power and antics. A real entertainer out of the ring and straight-up vicious inside the ring, often knocking his opponents out in seconds.
“EVERYONE HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE…”
I’m paraphrasing a quote that Tyson made during an interview that says, in its simplest form, you can plan all you want, but when that first blow lands, you find out what you are really made of. You find out the TRUTH.
These days I hear people talking about the concept of “your truth” and I feel like it is being misused in many ways. While it’s not good to not live under the judgment of others, it is dangerous to think that “your truth” IS reality in every area. It isn’t.
THE truth is what you find out about your level of preparedness and competency ONLY after that first punch lands. Conflict and friction help us find out where we are weak, as well as where we are strong. They show us what we’re made of.
This conflict-driven revelation is universal. You can it across relationships, personal finances, athletics, and your brand. Let me show you:
The truth about athletics.
I’m going to allude to my initial example here. If you think you are ready for a fight and have a plan, the first punch you take will tell THE truth about how ready you actually were.
The truth about your personal finances.
If you think your personal finances are solid because you can pay your bills but have no savings or other available means, you’re one car break down or medical emergency away from THE truth. The truth that you are very vulnerable.
The truth about relationships.
This is a pervasive and probably the most poignant example. We see examples of this all the time. Ask the husband how his marriage is and he responds, “Things are going great!” Then ask his spouse and you get a totally different…vibe. THE truth is that there is a broken connection that is going to take some honesty and care to fix.
The truth about your brand.
We are living in unprecedented “good times” economically in the US. Revenue and profits are up and unemployment is down. Investment dollars are flowing and it seems that there are overnight success entrepreneurs with each passing news cycle.
What is the truth about all of these businesses when it comes to how solid their brand footing is? Well, we are one downturn away from finding out… just like we did in 2008.
Those who have relied on easy money and easy sales by living off of a well-executed Google Ads spend, PPC, or other forms of algorithm hacking to close a deal will feel real pain when those budgets get cut.
Those who did the work to built strong brands that consumers connect with regardless of the “sales funnel” will show the strength of their footing and disproportionately win.
What are you lying to yourself about?
My hope is that this community is able to courageously ask the question, “What am I lying to myself about.” My hope is that we are ready to consider and accept what THE truth really is.
Honestly asking yourself this question is always a positive thing. That is THE truth.
—I talk about this topic and others on my weekly Clarity Compressed Podcast. You can also listen on the platform of your choice: iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or Castbox. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And if you want to learn more, you can check out my website pauljdaly.com
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