How to Reach the World, Part 2

Sing it with me:

“I will no longer be a non-force.”

That’s the mantra of your mission.

Because whether you’re the leader of a congregation, the executive director of a non-profit, the author of a mommy blog or a political candidate running for office, the dream still remains the same:

To reach the world.

And, to turn that world upside down once you get there.

Here’s how: (read part one here!) 1. Become more like the world you wish to reach. Thom Winninger once told me: “The finish magnifies the quality of the wood. And when people see themselves in the reflection, they always buy the furniture.”

Lesson learned: Reachability comes from relatability. Not from selling out, dressing up or fitting in. But from forming an authentic connection with the people who matter. Because the goal isn’t to change who you are.

Rather, to simply choose what is real and true about who you are – that suitably mirrors the world you wish to reach – and then fly that flag front and center.

That’s how you reach people. That’s how you influence people. By catering to the very desires that constitute their strongest urges.

Remember: It’s hard extend an arm to a world populated by people with tentacles. Are you making a conscious effort to see your work through the eyes of the people connected to it?

2. Personalize your entire audience as one individual. I recently received an email with the subject line, “Scott, are you stalking me?”

The woman explained, “I can’t tell you how many of your entries are directly related to my life. Almost as if you’re here in the office with me on a daily basis!”

This was not an accident. I get letters like this all the time. And I’ve finally figured out why:

Everything I write is a conversation with myself.

I’m not just writing for me, I’m writing to me. Sometimes to the current me. Sometimes to an older version of me. Sometimes to the future version of me. But this forces me to write for my ideal reader.

And the cool part is, by making it personal and direct to myself, it ends up relating to more people. It’s weird how that works: The more specific you are, the more universal you are.

That’s my way of reaching the world in a sort of backwards manner. Your challenge is to wrap the world you want to reach into an individual you can touch. And you don’t need to be a writer – you just need to speak straight to the heart of the human experience. How do you personalize your audience?

3. Let people reach you first. You can’t reach the world if you never go out into it. But sometimes a resting posture is the move that matters at the moment. As Kafka says:

“You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice. It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”

The point is: Reachability is a two-way street. And some people would rather take the first steps themselves. But only if there’s enough trust. There has to be a certain amount of predictability in you as a person (or your cause, brand, organization, whatever) for them to reach you.

Otherwise the arm you extend ends up hanging in the breeze like the nerd who tries to high five the quarterback.

The cool part is, when you give people permission to reach you first – and then they do – you earn the right to reciprocate. And as long as you do so respectfully, you win.

That means: No heavy-handedness. No lapel latching. No demands. No authoritarianism. Just an invitation. How reachable are you?

4. Create an abundance of confidence capital. Despite being ostracized by the ignorant, and notwithstanding the crescendo of voices that hopes to silence you, don’t take “so” for an answer. Ever.

The mantra that drenches me in confidence – especially on the days when it feels like the world is a world away – is to remind myself, “I expect nothing. I have no successes or failures. Only the consequences of my experiments.”

Also, never underestimate the reachability of practice. No less than ten thousand hours. That’s the critical number, however it applies to your world. Do that, and confidence will have no choice but to show up.

And I know: Practice sucks. But not as much as sucking from not practicing. Remember: people who suck rarely reach the world. How do you persevere and extend your confidence?

Ultimately, reaching the world – however you define that process – comes with its share of ups and downs.

THE TRICKY PART IS: It’s terrifying because the world feels so big; and it’s frustrating because you feel so small.

THE COOL PART IS: There has never been a better time in history to reach the world.

Dealing yourself into the game has never been easier. Thanks to those nerds you used to pick on in high school, technology now enables us to overcome barriers of distance and accessibility. Even one person on a laptop sitting in his living room can achieve immediate global disbursement of a message that matters.

But.

Only if you commit with both feet.
Only if you execute consistently and exquisitely.
Only if you believe that you possess the means to propel yourself into the orbit you want.

LOOK: Reaching the world is not some arbitrary eruption.

Never allow a gloomy reality to overshadow the possibility of a glorious future.

This is to be your symphony.

And remember that the real question isn’t, “Will you reach the world?” but rather…

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How will you change the world once you reach it?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “20 Types of Value You Must Deliver,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

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