What I'm about to say is both ironic and yet true.
It's ironic because my whole social media presence can technically be described as "guy dispensing unsolicited advice"🤣
But since we're all recipients of advice, and since I had to figure this out slowly (with painful lessons over the years), I thought I'd... give some advice 🤪... on receiving advice.
(I'm really tickled by this)
So…
Not too long ago I spoke with a smart person about my dream of being a keynote speaker and corporate trainer to teach more people how they can use visual thinking to improve their lives.
We ended up discussing how I could sell merchandise through B2C and B2B channels.
And for a moment that seemed fantastic. There's a real market for it and this brilliant person laid it out for me.
But let me ask you this.
Have you ever received advice that seemed right...
But felt wrong?
There was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind.
A tickle.
An itch.
A few days later I realised why.
It's a sound strategy to get into the merch business, but that's not where my passion lies. Not yet, at least. I'm happy to do it if it's a tiny effort on my part, but what I've been trying to figure out with every fibre of my being and almost every waking hour is how I can make a good living teaching this skill that I enjoy.
His advice was right but wrong for me at this time.
Once I understood that, I immediately felt at ease.
I still look up to this mentor in this story. No doubt about that. He is kind and generous and smart.
His advice just wasn't right for me now.
Growing up, I was taught to listen to advice. Our parents and teachers know what's best for us when we're young.
But like our devices, we need software updates as we grow older.
I never got the software update.
Not until recently when my public speaking mentor Craig Valentine in our group coaching call said "advice needs to be filtered through the 2Rs - whether it's reliable and whether it feels right.
"Don't take advice from someone who's never done it before. How would they know?
"And if it doesn't feel right for you, don't do it. Not everything will fit you."
So the next time you get an advice, remember: advice is just an opinion. If it seems right and feels wrong, ask yourself if it's reliable and if it's right for you.
P.S. - I do teach this skill with my online course, Illustrate Impactful Ideas. “I did it in a morning and in the afternoon I was doing the illustration.” - happy student of mine :)
P.P.S. - I’m looking to teach this skill live to communities or companies, whether in person or via webinars. Let me know if you could introduce me to some opportunities! :)