#672: Seth Godin — The Pursuit of Meaning, The Life-Changing Power of Choosing Your Attitude, Overcoming Rejection, Life Lessons from Zig Ziglar, and Committing to Making Positive Change | TED Radio Hour

Intro

In this episode of the TED Radio Hour, host Guy Raz interviews bestselling author Seth Godin about the pursuit of meaning, the life-changing power of choosing your attitude, overcoming rejection, life lessons from Zig Ziglar, and committing to making positive change. Seth shares insights on personal growth, the importance of community, and the impact of marketing on finding meaning in our lives.

Main Takeaways

Choosing Your Attitude

• Focusing on what you can do instead of what you used to do raises the stakes for things.
• We get to pick our attitude, and it’s the only thing each of us truly gets to pick.
• Approaching the world with a positive energetic attitude can make your experience of the world better.
• Optimism is a prerequisite for action and can help level the playing field.

Finding Meaning and Fulfillment

• In our industrialized world, marketers push people to find meaning in purchases, but this doesn’t scale and doesn’t lead to long-term fulfillment.
• Finding something to care about and being a part of a community can provide a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
• The Carbon Almanac and community orchestras are examples of communities that provide meaning and fulfillment outside of monetary gain.
• Connecting with others in a meaningful way fills people with meaning and purpose.

The Pursuit of Significance

• Significance comes from making a change happen and working towards a common goal with others.
• Organizing with others to make a change can have a greater impact than personal actions.
• Mentoring involves helping mentees find a common goal and work towards it with others.
• Creating the conditions for better, not managing your way into getting employees to give you a bargain, is key to avoiding trouble with employees.

Overcoming Rejection and Embracing Resilience

• Speaker faced rejection in the book business with 800 rejection letters in a row.
• Speaker learned to not take rejection personally and focus on improving the work.
• Resilience, risk-taking, honesty, transparency, and loyalty are important qualities that do not match up with traditional proxies used for hiring and leadership decisions.
• Focusing on the work itself rather than proxies can improve output and culture.

Creating a Sense of Community

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of community.
• Building a community orchestra or having a shared purpose/activity can alleviate existential dread.
• Soliciting advice instead of criticism or feedback and understanding the different types of editing for writing.
• Watching how your target audience engages with your work can provide insight for future projects.

Summary

Choosing Your Attitude

Seth Godin highlights the importance of choosing our attitude and approaching the world with a positive energetic mindset. By focusing on what we can do instead of dwelling on the past, we raise the stakes for our actions and create a better experience of the world. Optimism becomes a prerequisite for action, leveling the playing field and empowering us to make positive change.

Finding Meaning and Fulfillment

In our industrialized world, marketers often push us to find meaning in purchases, but this approach doesn’t lead to long-term fulfillment. Seth Godin suggests that true meaning and fulfillment come from finding something to care about and being part of a community. Examples like The Carbon Almanac and community orchestras show how communities can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment outside of monetary gain. Connecting with others in a meaningful way fills us with a sense of meaning and purpose.

The Pursuit of Significance

Significance comes from making a change happen and working towards a common goal with others. Seth Godin emphasizes the power of organizing with others to create a greater impact than individual actions. Mentoring is highlighted as a way to help others find a common goal and work towards it with others. By creating the conditions for better work and avoiding a focus on managing employees as resources, organizations can foster a sense of significance and avoid trouble with employees.

Overcoming Rejection and Embracing Resilience

Seth Godin shares personal experiences of facing rejection in the book business and learning not to take it personally. Instead, he focused on improving his work and embracing resilience. He highlights the importance of qualities like resilience, risk-taking, honesty, transparency, and loyalty, which may not align with traditional proxies used for hiring and leadership decisions. By focusing on the work itself rather than relying on proxies, organizations can improve output and cultivate a positive culture.

Creating a Sense of Community

Seth Godin emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of community in various contexts. Building a community orchestra or engaging in shared purpose activities can alleviate existential dread and provide a sense of belonging. He suggests soliciting advice instead of criticism or feedback and understanding the different types of editing for writing. By watching how target audiences engage with our work, we can gain valuable insights for future projects and create a stronger connection with our audience.

Conclusion

In this thought-provoking episode, Seth Godin shares insights on the pursuit of meaning, the power of choosing our attitude, overcoming rejection, and creating a sense of community. He highlights the importance of finding something to care about, working towards a common goal with others, and embracing resilience. By focusing on the work itself, fostering a sense of community, and creating conditions for better work, we can find significance and make a positive impact on the world.