1: Confront Your Ego
His book, ‘Ego is The Enemy’ is one of my favorites. I took a lot from it, but possibly the largest lesson I learned was to see ego in a new light.
I always associated ego with cockiness and arrogance. You know the type: the guy or gal with all the confidence in the world, is extroverted and bullies their way to the front of the line.
This is how I saw ego.
Because of this, I didn’t think I had one.
I’m quieter. Private. Reserved. Ego and I don’t seem to go hand-in-hand, but having read Ryan’s book I realize how wrong I was. Ego is within us all and is part of the conversation, always. It taints discussion, both the ones we have with others and those internal conflicts.
It gets in the way of doing the “right” thing.
Often, not out of spite… rather, protection.
It tries to keep us safe but imprisons us to rules we may no longer need.
As such, Ryan taught me to confront my ego. Accept it’s there. Embrace it and talk it down. It’s no eviler than any other emotion, thought or feeling. Yet if we allow it to govern us, the road it takes us down is often a lonely one indeed.
2: The Voice Can (and will) Evolve
As a writer, I think of voice often.
Is my style of writing correct?
Is it compelling enough?
Will others like it?
Should I push it to one side and try to be like “that” writer instead?
I don’t worry about this as much anymore. I appreciate now that your voice (be it written or any other) isn’t static. It evolves and can take on new forms, often from day-to-day; and even throughout it.
You can wear different hats, tweaking the voice at all times while staying true to the essence of it.
When I first heard of Ryan, I knew him as a marketer and PR specialist. I’ve read articles about his views on marketing. His book, ‘Perennial Seller’ is largely about it. Yet I’ve also read his books about philosophy and conspiracy.
His voice transitions between the topics, yet it always remains… his.
Unique. True. Grounded.
Like ice, water and steam, the same elements at all times but determined by their environment. This empowers me to write as I wish to write. Adapt and fine-tune, of course, as each client and project requires me to.
But those fundamental elements can remain. Indeed, they need to.