Am I the only one TIRED of all the hyperbole and hype online, particularly around business/success, and especially on Facebook?
This guy is CRUSHING it.
They are KILLING it right now.
This is THE Biggest…
You Won’t Believe What Happened NEXT…
I know, it’s all in an attempt to get us to click through (and it works), but why is there so much?
There also seems to be more words popping up like:
- LEVERAGE—leverage your time, your skills
- SCALE—gotta scale it up, make it bigger
- MASSIVE—have a massive impact, affect millions of people
- and of course, EPIC—dude, that was so epic
I know I’m triggered by this stuff.
These words, inherently, have no meaning.
You’re not bad for using them.
I just think they’re being over-used and are actually causing damage (more on that later).
In fact, let me get a little Louis CK for a second…
Do you know what “epic” means?
It’s a long poem, typically derived from ancient oral traditions.
So there.
Wait—oh, that’s definition #1.
#2 says: heroic or grand in scale or character
Now, it’s quite possible that some people are doing things HEROIC or GRAND, but is everyone?
Am I just connected to a disproportionate number of these people online?
I have a feeling that even Gary V isn’t all about “crushing it” anymore. There are other things in life that are important, too.
Doing something EPIC is intimidating, if that’s what you set out for. Maybe you just need to go do your thing and leave the labels up to others.
What ever happened to doing your work well, and not being concerned with the results?
Even when I was acting, I remember I *hated* working with teachers who were “results-oriented”—who knew what the scene should look like or the emotions needed, but had no way of helping the actors “get there.”
Pretty pictures, but nothing real inside.
Here’s my other issue with all this language (and how it affects me):
It can make you think that what you’re doing is not enough or that you are “less than” someone or something else.
Look at what he/she/they are doing… [be it in travel, business, life, etc.]
How am I handling this now?
I’ve taken to avoiding or hiding certain people online, as their content triggers me most. Again, they aren’t bad people—it’s just the place I’m in right now and I don’t enjoy how they are sharing.
Perhaps some day, I’ll be able to read all this stuff with different eyes and a fresh perspective. Until then: gone!
I just don’t think it’s healthy to fill my mind with all those negative thoughts. It’s taken conversations with others to see that for whatever reason, I just need to not take that stuff in, instead of continuing to read it, hoping it will inspire me, rather than deflate me.
I came across a quote recently during a housesitting gig that has stuck with me:
If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
So, it sounds like success has nothing to do with leverage, scale, massive, epic, crushing, killing, or destroying.
It’s just loving what you are doing—maybe *that* is the point of it all. Really, wholeheartedly, passionately loving it, and knowing that success will follow, on whatever level it is supposed to.
Want to dream big? Great! Then, get back to the step-by-step progress and see what happens.
(Believe me, I’m still working on letting go of the results and just loving the process—I’m sure I’m not the only one whose mind races years into the future about what could be, whether it’s a project or a relationship.)
Here’s what I’ve been doing more of recently: playing cards. Specifically, cribbage. With like, actual cards!
Do you know what the ROI is on playing a card game invented in the 17th century by an Englishman named John Suckling?!
Me neither. Don’t care, either. It’s a fun game, and I enjoy it.
Does it scale? Nope.
[Well, technically it *could* scale if you played with teams, but at a certain point, I feel like it’d be diminishing returns. Anyway, I digress…]
I actually spent much of the time around New Year’s playing cribbage and other board games, and being generally disconnected. It was wonderful, and reminded me that there is SO MUCH out there that has nothing to do with the online world.
I want to reconnect to these thoughts and things more often.
OH—and all this comes after the best financial quarter I’ve had since I left my office job in 2010.
So yes, I’m doing well *by my own standards*—but am I killing it?
Who cares?
Am I impacting millions of people in a small way, or just a few in a profound way? Is one better than the other? Do I even need to think about this?
Is this entire rant just a way to validate/justify my own behaviors and views? Sure. Aren’t most?
from Portland, OR…
PS: I really hope the name John Suckling is your “learn a new thing” for today. Talk about someone who probably had to overcome negative thoughts! :)
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Love this Nathan – I completely agree!
:)
Completely with you on this one Nathan, thanks for writing it!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and where’s a danger in talking about the ‘epic’ all the time, in words that make if seem like the only thing of value. ‘What’s the next big thing’ seems to be standard to say after congratulations on a success — as if we’re always on the road between one ‘big thing’ and another and what matters is how fast we get there… which kind of make you think you may be missing something as life zips past the window.
Even if that life someone is ‘crushing’ looks ‘epic’ on the outside it’s not going to feel that way if you don’t slow the heck down and start valuing the little totally not newsworthy parts.
When I sat down to reflect on 2014, I found myself wondering, when was I actually celebrating anything this past year? I can certainly celebrate it now (better late than never), but I think that really misses the (and hits on your) point!
And yes, if I want to celebrate the non-newsworthy note of finishing one book in two months (rather than one week), I have every right too! And don’t get me started on what is or isn’t newsworthy these days… Thanks for your ideas! :)