“Sois fort pour être utile“.
When a hungry mama bear roams the forest for food she’s looking to feed her family… but she eats first.
When a doctor travels to remote locations to save people from simple infections she aims to help as many as they can… so she inoculates herself first.
When a pilot loses control on a commercial flight, a passenger will want to save the day, but first, he puts on his oxygen mask before helping others do the same.
“Sois fort pour être utile”.
In each situation, they needed to take a step back to take care of the primary resource first.
They acted “selfish”. GASP
Being selfish isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s essential for survival and doing good in the world.
The most iconic leaders, Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, even Jesus Christ, were all selfish people, and we adore them.
It’s the selfless people we forget, ignore, and who die especially younger than the aforementioned icons.
The selfless mama bears, feed their children first, die from starvation, thus leaving their orphaned children to larger predators who have their fill.
Selfless doctors burnout and age fast while being ignored for trips abroad and their less qualified peer rises to the call.
Selfless plane passengers don’t go home to their families if the plane lands safely.
Selfish is good. Gets a bad wrap though, which is why I prefer the term, “self-aware”. All the sentiment, none of the shame and guilt.
Responsible selfish-lite (fewer calories for bikini season).
You need to be self-aware to do well.
Like a mama bear, doctor giving life, or a heroic plane passenger…
“Sois fort pour être utile”.
French – “Be strong to be useful.”
It means putting yourself first, paying yourself first, and loving what you do more than the people you do it for.
People will respect, follow and champion you for that because they can’t do well if you aren’t leading the charge.
A simple way to be self-aware with your audience before they drain you of your best energy. Survey them regularly.
Every 30-60 days or as part of their opt-in to your list.
Ask them questions and frame the narrative BEFORE they bombard you with unexpected questions that you selflessly answer… all… right away.
When you’re proactively well-armed with new content ideas you can monetize, you’ll thank me.
Try the approach I use, where I ask a set of questions that are so doo-doo dumb people can’t help but answer them in 90 seconds or less.
Take my questionnaire, share your feelings on email, and unpack why it is so underwhelming, but works.
And think of how you can use something similar.
Be well,
Max!