When we arrive at what we saw we can always see further.
I have to think that even atop the mountains we climb, something pulls at us to go climb their neighbor.
Praise be that we don’t have finish lines.
We have journeys that birth journeys and the words etched on the gold found at the end of our rainbows read ‘see. there’s more.’
The Italians are on to something right now with their latest fashion trend. The phenomenon is called “Spezzato”, which translates as “broken in two,” and describes the the style of taking one jacket from a suit and matching it with a pair of pants from another suit.
We can and should learn from this.
Our businesses are in need of being spezzato’d.
I believe he who perfects the art of the mismatch will be who leads the industry, sector, and niche of choice for the future.
This is what I mean….Metaphorically, when you swap your jacket or trousers with that of another business you then start a trend that starts a story that starts a conversation that creates a movement.
We don’t need another bank, we need another bank that feels like Nordstrom.
We don’t need another church, we need another church that feels like Cheers.
We don’t need another restaurant, we need another restaurant that feels like LuLuLemon.
This is your invitation to mix, match, and mismatch.
You’re probably thinking about how this won’t match. And that’s the point.
It’s all in how you wear it.
Denial?
Disbelief?
Doubt?
Distraction?
Walk through one of these and it’s quite hard to get back into the room where you cultivate your dreams.
Why have any plan that distracts from plan ‘A’? You don’t want that temptation and your dreams don’t deserve that either.
When we’re talking about your dreams, an exit strategy is an oxymoron. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Or should we ask, “what are you pointing at?”
Are you pointing us towards something to tolerate or something to celebrate?
Are you pointing us at the seen or the unseen?
Are you pointing us towards the noise or the music?
We must constantly ask ourselves what are we pointing at, because that in itself will be the point we leave behind.
Our fingers don’t point back at us for a reason.
Get the point?
Every iPhone sale makes the one you own just a bit more valuable. More connection = more value.
Every new idea you read connects with the previous ideas you’ve been exposed to and makes your new thinking and insight a little more valuable. More dots connected = more value = more people accessing your dots.
Every hand you shake increases the value of your previous handshakes. (Read The Power of Who for more here). More hands connected = more value.
You can play Angry Birds or you can connect with what you’re holding or looking at right now.
Tomorrow we won’t notice your decision, but five years from today we most certainly will.
Ashton.Gustafson 