“If you are afraid to write or edit or assemble or disassemble, you are merely a spectator. And you are trapped, trapped by the instructions of those you’ve chosen to follow. Twenty people in the field and eighty thousand in the stands. The spectators are the ones who paid to watch, but it’s the player on the field who are truly alive.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“While someone can attempt to shame you, shame must also be accepted to be effective. We can’t make you feel shame without your participation.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“Don’t fix me; Love me for what’s broken.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“We don’t need more stuff; we need more humanity.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“The ladder of success isn’t a ladder. It’s a series of steps with leaps interspersed along the way.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“I don’t care how many friends you have on facebook or how many followers you have on twitter. Those are not actual friends or truly followers. I care about how many people will miss you if you’re not back here again tomorrow.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“Just because you’re winning a game doesn’t mean it’s a good game.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“Courage doesn’t always involve physical heroism in the face of death. It doesn’t always require giant leaps worthy of celebration. Sometimes, courage is the willingness to speak the truth about what you see and to own what you say.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
“The value we create is directly related to how much valuable information we can produce, how much trust we can earn, and how often we innovate.” ~ Seth Godin, The Icarus Deception
The Icarus Deception [Book]
Book Overview: In Seth Godin’s most inspiring book, he challenges readers to find the courage to treat their work as a form of art. Everyone knows that Icarus’s father made him wings and told him not to fly too close to the sun; he ignored the warning and plunged to his doom. The lesson: Play it safe. Listen to the experts. It was the perfect propaganda for the industrial economy. What boss wouldn’t want employees to believe that obedience and conformity are the keys to success? But we tend to forget that Icarus was also warned not to fly too low, because seawater would ruin the lift in his wings. Flying too low is even more dangerous than flying too high, because it feels deceptively safe. The safety zone has moved. Conformity no longer leads to comfort. But the good news is that creativity is scarce and more valuable than ever. So is choosing to do something unpredictable and brave: Make art. Being an artist isn’t a genetic disposition or a specific talent. It’s an attitude we can all adopt. It’s a hunger to seize new ground, make connections, and work without a map. If you do those things you’re an artist, no matter what it says on your business card. Godin shows us how it’s possible and convinces us why it’s essential.
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Great on Kindle. Great Experience. Great Value. The Kindle edition of this book comes highly recommended on Amazon.
Post(s) Inspired by this Book:
“The ONLY thing leaders have in common is the shared decision to lead.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“I think most people have it upside down. Being charismatic doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader makes you charismatic.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“If you hear my idea but don’t believe it, that’s not your fault; it’s mine. If you see my new product but don’t buy it, that’s my failure, not yours. If you attend my presentation and you’re bored, that’s my fault too.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“‘Life’s too short’ is repeated often enough to be a cliche, but this time it’s true. You don’t have enough time to be both unhappy and mediocre. It’s not just pointless, it’s painful. Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“Initiating is really and truly difficult, and that’s what leaders do. They see something others are ignoring and they jump on it.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“Change isn’t made by asking permission. Change is made by asking for forgiveness, later.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“In nearly every case, trying to lead everyone results in leading no one in particular.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“The one path that never works is the most common one: doing nothing at all.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes
“One bad review doesn’t ruin my day because I realize what a badge of honor it is to get a bit of criticism at all.” ~ Seth Godin, Tribes