Observe The Masses & Do The Opposite

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I love movies. They tend to speak to your inner being in a way that normal conversation can't.

I even did a whole series of articles on Things I Learned About Business from Top Gun.

So let me ask you. Have you seen The Matrix?

I love that movie, especially the scene where Morpheus and Neo are walking down the street and Neo sees the lady in the red dress.
That scene is so powerful if you are paying attention.

First off, they are walking against they flow of traffic. Successful people tend to go against the grain. They "observe the masses" and "do the opposite."

Secondly, Morpheus explains to Neo what most successful entrepreneurs already know.... The masses of the people in the world around us are locked into a "system" that confines them to only a fraction of the potential that they have in life. In one sense most people (whether they realize it or not) are slaves to the "system" but they don't have to be. They too can "take the red pill" and start taking control of their own destiny if they want to.

Lastly, the most important part of that scene is with the lady in the red dress. Some people would argue that she represents lust and sexual desire. I say it's more than that. She is the embodiment of all those things that can keep someone from becoming successful.

The lady in the red dress represents any thing that can distract you (remember how Neo acted when he saw her) and get you off track. Certainly lust can be in that list, but the successful business owner has to be on guard against all manner of distractions... playing golf every week can be a distraction... watching too much TV can be a distraction... having your children involved in 400 extra-ciricular activities every week can be a distraction... spending too much time on Facebook can be a distraction... anything that takes prevents you from doing what you have to do in order to become successful is a distraction that you can control.

If you remember at the end of that scene the lady in the red dress has changed into an "agent" of the Matrix. In the movie, an agent usually meant death. Distractions won't kill you, but if you don't control them, they can kill your success.

I'm not saying you can't do any of these things. I watch TV & movies. But I try not to do it when I need to be bidding on jobs or sending out invoices. There are websites that stream current and older tv shows for you (I'm currently catching up on Magnum P.I.) or DVR's allow you to record it and watch it later.

I have a Facebook account as well as a couple business pages on Facebook that I admin, but I don't spend hours playing Farmville or whatever the latest craze is.

My daughters have activities that they participate in, but my wife and I are not gonna play taxi-cab driver all over town doing every possible thing they think they might have an interest in.

And as far as golf is concerned, I really have no idea why anyone would spend all day in the hot sun chasing a little white ball across a cow pasture - but maybe that's just me.

In case you wanna rewatch the scene, I found it on YouTube... Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9p8LXD5UDs

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