Future Slut

In the distant future, large-brained archaeologists will un-earth this graffiti-covered doorway from the rubble and dust and determine that this was a portal of great significance, as evidenced by the many glyphs, thick layers of ponderous pictographs and cryptic script.

These sages will conclude that this must have marked the dwelling of a fierce warrior, or a venerable member of the nobility, or perhaps the sanctuary of a potent and powerful shaman or perhaps a high priestess.

They will note, on the far left, the singularly most legible word: "SLUT", and deem it very significant and culturally powerful. Innocently enough, these learned elite will publish their unfinished findings, rushing not so much to enlighten the world as to entertain it with a veneer of erudition, as well as encourage the edification of their egos with a compelling, if incomplete account, and an utter lack of accountability.  The people will eagerly acquiesce, regardless.  The worm will turn.

A new cult will arise and a shrine will be erected -er, so to speak - and an entire cultural movement will begin, revering "Slut". This movement will sweep the land.  People will tap their chips to Google and Wikipedia this "Slut", so as to divine it's true meaning.  They will meditate fiercely on the unfathomable spiritual mystery, wondering why it must have been so vitally important to 'get screwed by any and all comers.'  They will consume anything they can find to fill the void.  Nothing will fill them, for it is not a hunger they feel, but a thirst.  Parched in a desert wasteland of newsertainment, they will eat entire dunes and still want, lacking.

There will come tidal waves of T-shirts that will read the new-found mantra: "Go Ahead & Fuck Me. I'm Screwed Already," symbolizing a new era ushered in by a marked increase in unbridled abuse by civic leaders, public officials, and captains of industry sticking it to entire populations of people, trading platitudes, pandering, and proffering mere peanuts in return.

The people will bridle at the bit, and chafe, bemused at a distant needling suspicion and embrace their rising worry.  They will clamor for more and wonder why, praying and meditating all the more reverently, seeking a divinity of clarity and understanding  that feels so close, yet so elusive; just beyond reach, at the frayed and fading outer edge of their dwindling consciousness.

 

Legions of  unscrupulous Spinmeister Marketers of the future - serving the nefarious machinations of all manner of insipid corporate interests - will have succeeded at immediately and completely twisting things to their advantage over the unsuspecting, sleepwalking, sheepish masses.    Striving to fully fill the aggravated avarice swamping the shallows of ignorance and consuming the depths of greed.  Whole revolutions for freedom and liberty will sputter, gasp, and die. All to the thunderous, anxious roar of mass approval.

The worm will turn.
History will cycle, wheel, and repeat.
What's old will be new again.
So it is written, so shall be done.

Posted via web from thinblog

A Social Medium Rarely Well Done, Thank You

[ Update: a recent experience brings this into even sharper focus ]

Social Media.

What comes to mind?  Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter, MySpace, Buzz...  For most of us, 'email' doesn't come to mind.  We rarely think of it.  Some of us remember the days of cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, Novell Groupwise, and still use some of them.  So prevalent and utilitarian, we rarely think about thinking about it.  It's a commodity we use so regularly, so intuitively, it's nearly invisible to us (uh, except for the spam). The rise of stable, easy-to-use web browser-based email systems has contributed to the ubiquity and omniscience of email.  And we rarely give it a second thought.

Give it a second thought, right now:  Email is among the very first and still among the most powerful social media and social networking resources on the planet...

The Psychic Cleaners or "The veteran loudmouth blowhard is not just my neighbor, he's my new social media pro, too."

Wow. The magic of convergence. The yard guy's also my auto mechanic? Sure: Yard's fantastic, but my ride runs in circles like a sprinkler. But that's OK. The back seat's a hothouse for tomatoes! I'm going, green, baby!

Lots of newly minted web experts have cropped up recently. Who knew? I'm so glad, too. I mean, the (not-so-former) real estate broker is now a social media strategist. Awesome. And the failed marketer is now a design expert. And SEO genius. Fantastic. So what's the rub? Oh nothing, really. Just the fact that what they all have in common is mastering art of self-promotion, very often at the expense and to the detriment of the very businesses they're bilking - er, uh - I mean serving...

I know, I know. No need to be snippy. But really, just think about it for a second. While professionals in all sorts of industries successfully re-make themselves all the time, there's a difference between going to a seminar or watching a webinar and being proficient at things.

So take a good look at which counter you're leaving your precious finery on when you're considering the Psychic Cleaners, because there's no stain remover in the crystal ball.

Posted via web from thinblog

Sign Posts and Intuition

We look for signs to guide us. There's rules of the road, after all. Sometimes, however, we simply blink… and go. The roads we frequent are governed by rules for safety, for masses to transit, to ensure relatively well-ordered travel. Headlong, headstrong flight is mostly considered perilous: don't know what's ahead, (regardless of what you feel). That way lies danger. Read the signs, obey the rules. Stay on the road. Get there on time (OK, so you bend a few rules, like the speed limit) and in one piece (albeit a bit stale from the long stretch of highway). Stay safe. Forget the damn journey, just arrive someplace.

The signs we see have become nearly invisible to us. Not because we disregard them. To the contrary, we've become accustomed to the directives; we're used to the ostensible sanctity of their guiding presence. Lulled into acquiescence. But sometimes, they're clustered and confusing, causing us to slow down or even stop and consider which way (forward? back? left? right?) is the most prudent.

We may not be pausing solely for prudence, though...

... It's at such times that intuition cuts through the cacophony and clutter with a clarity that makes us feel the blink, and we hear it: 'Leave the road.' We're given pause because we've a gut-level, elemental urge: leave the road altogether. Cleave cross country. The road'll still be there. There's entire infrastructures set up to make sure that road's not going anywhere, er, so to speak... But you're gonna carve a path. You're not unmindful of the rutted unruliness of the way ahead. As a matter of fact, such unchartedness is an integral aspect of discovery; it's organic, and it's essential in the new geography of your success.

Somewhere out there in the wide unknown you may find yourself absolutely worn out in the tall grasses. You're in the weeds. You look back over your shoulder and can't even see that bright ribbon of road from which you so rashly turned aside. But you do see the path you've made to get where you are right now, and it's beautiful, and you know that your weariness is alright. You believe the way you're forging is special. And you're right. You rest, and you reflect. And your resolve is re-kindled.

You may not know it, but your great effort is to our great benefit. What you learn, you selflessly share, and we're the richer and the wiser for it. So thank you for not posting signs, but for being the totem. For embodying intuition. For showing us that having the courage to strike out across the fields is not folly, it's fruitful abundance. Thanks for not having all the answers, and exemplifying the craziness and clarity of new solutions. You're the "entré" in entrepreneur because you enter where others only pass by in fear, and you lead the way. For your inspiration and your instigation: Thank you so very much.

Follow Up:  There are a couple of special folks in my life who're living catalysts of good stuff.  Here are a couple of works by authors who've greatly influenced them and inspired them to do positive, impactful things in their work and with other aspects of their lives.  Required reading, one might say.  You should check them out:

Change the monolgue? Seriously, change the entire script. This is required reading.
Chip Conley's awesome newness	Seth Godin's latest seminal work
We've actually met Chip and seen him speak on this, and far from the mass hallucination-effect of the traditional tent-raising holy-rollers on the speaking circuit, his accessiblity and frankness were so genuine, you can even feel it in this little video clip of him.	We really hope to meet Seth in the very near future, as well. Wanna see why? Sure you do: See him in action over at TED (a whole slew of links to his talks, and there's a little clip below).Mind-blowing, dude. Seriously.

Posted via web from thinblog