Behave your way into being noticed

Are you aflame with longing to make your mark? 

Try this. Move closer and closer to the edge of what scares you. Push yourself to the threshold of what is familiar and reliable. Raise your hand for tasks and projects that feel light years above your intellectual pay grade. 

Don’t worry, the fact that you feel completely out of your league means you’re doing something that will make you grow. 

And besides, you might surprise yourself. Working at the edge often unearths skills you didn’t know you had. Or better yet, it reinforces skills you knew you had, but weren’t using. It all depends on how you frame it. 

Rollo’s extraordinary book on love and will has a memorable passage about apathy that comes to mind. 

Shrinking up in the winds of continuous demands and freezing in the face of hyper stimuli, letting the current go by since one fears he would be overwhelmed if he response to it. 

That’s what you must avoid. Withdrawing back from life and sliding towards despair. Because those who make their mark are the ones who are willing to meet each of their edges as another opportunity to explore their strengths and flexibility. 

Those who are willing to become fully alive to the challenge of each moment. 

Even if they have no idea what the hell they are doing.



LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What if the story you are telling yourself about your competence is completely invented? 
* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

You were born here, and you didn’t deserve any of it

If the greatest verb might well be earn, then the worst verb might well be deserve. 

Because when we constantly keep count of what we feel we’re entitled to, it becomes our nature to always be demanding things as we wish them to be. 

And then, when we find out that they’re not, heartbreak ensues. Gratitude evaporates. And we blame the world for not giving us what we want. 

As with most things, it’s a control issue. We trap ourselves into thinking we deserve better, and that only multiplies our disappointment. 

As the taoist proverb goes:



Any over determined action produces its exact opposite. 

That’s the danger of deserving. To deserve means we have taken the good we have for granted. To deserve means that we feel entitled to the things we want. To deserve means that we are placing a finite value, a set line in the sand, as to what will make us happy. 

The only road out of this mindset is to throw the door open to an entirely new way of being. Meaning, we must focus on what we want from ourselves, not what we want for ourselves. 

Huge difference. One is within the scope of our control, the other isn’t. One helps us gain a sense of efficacy, the other doesn’t. 

Ultimately, there are those who earn, and there are those who deserve. 

We make the choice each day which one we will be. 



LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you conscious about what you have established as expectations for yourself? 

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Game Show Host. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

It’s not the thing, it’s that for which the thing is a solution

There is nothing in this world that we can’t turn into heroin. 

In fact, there are as many addictions as there are people to suffer from them. 

But there is one characteristic all of these conditions have in common. 

It’s not a sustainable piece of machinery for regulating our emotions. That’s how our brains work. Addiction is a habitual substitute satisfaction for an essential unmet need. It’s not about the thing, it’s about that for which the thing is a solution. 

Masters said it eloquently in his book on transformation through intimacy:

Everything exists through relationship, and only through relationship. Everything. Everything, everyone, everywhere, every last bit of it. None of it exists unto itself, truly separate from all the rest of it. None of it! We are never not in relationship. How could we be? No one and no thing possesses truly independent existence and therefore cannot stand apart from everything else. Every life arises only in the context of relationship. 

And so, we can’t allow the false glamour of addiction to keep us down. We can’t keep chopping off all our connections with others. 

It’s time to break the cycle of isolation in which addiction thrives. To train ourselves to want meaningful connection more than we want that other thing. 

Because whatever our addiction is, it’s not a viable substitute for people. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How might you finding answers that satisfy you in a way that your addiction never could?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

You think you’re tough, but all you can do is break things

Henri’s book about the art spirit is an inspiration to any student of creativity. 

Especially when it comes to the precarious process of receiving feedback on our work. The famous painter says it perfectly in the first chapter. 

My opinions are presented as paintings hung on the wall, to be viewed at will and taken as rough sketches for what they are worth. 

That’s the way each of us should approach feedback. As sketches. As information that we hold onto lightly, if even at all. 

Because in too many situations, we get subjected to other people’s unsolicited opinions and advice. Too many cooks are in the kitchen trying to influence something, and the quality of the final product suffers as a result. 

And instead of elevating the work, it just feels like we’re getting pecked and chipped away at. Feelings of rejection and unworthiness and resentment spike through our veins. It makes us wonder why we even attempted the work in the first place. 

When the reality is, people’s feedback usually has nothing to do with us. It’s a performance. It’s a projection. It’s a way for scared people to contribute something without actually creating anything. 

And so, it’s our job to choose how much weight we grant to other people’s opinions. Which, outside of a few close confidants, should be very little. 

Because we trust ourselves. We trust our work. Feedback is overrated. 


LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What do you want to create in the world, regardless of public opinion? * * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

The joy of going to sleep with a contented heart

It’s okay to stop when you’re happy. 

If you have what you need to be complete with something, allow that to be enough for you and move on. 

People who have a high emotional need for cognitive closure struggle with this. They insist on sticking things out until the bitter end. They might even feel guilty for leaving early. 

Music is the perfect example. Just because you bought the whole album, doesn’t mean you have to listen to every song. If five out of eleven tracks totally rock and make your heart do back flips, but the rest of the album is shite, so be it. You aren’t going to hurt the artist’s feelings by skipping a few songs. You got what you need out of that experience. 

As the song lyric goes, you get in, you get done, and then you get gone. 

Another example is work. Just because you have a history together doesn’t mean you have a future together. And so, staying too long with a stepping stone job is just as much of a mistake as leaving that job too soon. 

You don’t owe it to any organization stay out of a perceived moral obligation. Listen, most employers won’t hesitate to shitcan you at the drop of a hat for any reason that fits their business needs, so why not reciprocate an equal level of attachment? 

Point being, whatever sword of obligation is dangling over your head right now, understand that in many cases, you can simply stop. No need to postpone your happiness or prolong your pain. If you want to gain a sense of satisfaction and closure, announce to yourself that you feel complete about this. Announce that you’ve learned all you need to learn, and can now adjourn. 

And mold yourself into a lean, clean and clear person who satisfies all his requirements, then gets on with their life. 

Because it’s better to bail when you’re satiated than run the wheels off of something because you feel morally obligated to stick around. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you avoiding unnecessary obligations that hold no possible benefit for you?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

Forgiveness begins with an ounce of willingness

Arendt’s celebrating and thought provoking book on the human condition reminds us that our capacity to forgive creates the ground for lasting relationships with others. 

But to do so, it all depends on how much empathy we have. Only when we start imagining ourselves in another place, does forgiveness follow. Only when we experience people as real human beings with needs and desires and a unique point of view, can we finally release them from what they have done unknowingly. 

The question is, is your forgiveness expressed, or merely implied? 

Because in many cases, it’s not enough to simply say that words. 

A helpful practice is to add the words for and because to our expressions of forgiveness. 

I forgive you for missing my party because I love you and know how stressed you’ve been lately. 

I forgive you for breaking my favorite mug because accidents happen and in the grand scheme of life, it’s not really that important. 

I forgive you for lying to me because I’m sure I’ve hurt you too in more ways than I realize. 

Remember, forgiving begins with an ounce of willingness. It’s the choice we make. 

Not to be the keeper of the black book of transgressions, but to be a loving human who is free with their kindness towards others. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Whom have you still not forgiven?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

There’s no snooze button on a human time bomb

Triggers are complicated, scary and powerful. 

Whatever is at work in us seems to have its own set of batteries. Especially when it’s something out of the blue that activates our anxiety. 

Like a few innocent words from a coworker, a random song on the radio, a person sitting next to you chewing their sandwich loudly, an animated pop up on a website, or walking into a restaurant you used to frequent when you were unemployed, it’s amazing how quickly our brains connect to those old sources of pain. 

Maisel’s healing book on creative recovery suggests a three step process. When a situation ignites one of our unresolved problems, fears, and old bruises, here’s what we do. 

First, identify what’s irritating you. Are you hungry, angry, tired or lonely? 

Second, decide what you can do to change the situation, or your reaction to the situation. 

Finally, take action to address the trigger. Employ whatever anxiety management techniques work best for you. 

Ultimately, recognizing your triggers of pain can be a huge part of your growth. And although it requires a level of body awareness and emotional maturity that you might not be used to, it’s still healthier than curling up into the fetal position and eating your body weight in corn chips. 



LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Do you take your triggers seriously and know clearly what you will do when you face them? 

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

Writing the most unlikely chapters in the lore

When does change become transformation? 

When does transition become a revolution? 

It all depends on our willingness to let go of who we used to be and lean into something different. 

Because if we think it’s too late to make any meaningful life changes; if we’re still living like we’re in a previous season; or if we are in a new season of life, but are still trying to keep doing everything from the last one, then we merely change. 

Not incite a transformation. Not inflame a revolution. 

And it’s understandable. It’s process that involves legitimate loss. We see a chapter in our life closing, and we mourn. That’s why movies and documentaries and books and interviews about people who navigate their unconventional pathway are always worthwhile. Watching the narrative arc of a regular person who silently closes one chapter and opens the way for the next, that’s the stuff heroism is made of. 

These stories inspire us to accelerate our entry into the next phase of our existence. They help us to live into other places of ourselves. 

Remember, frustration comes from our refusal to accept life’s seasons as they come to us. If something in your life is signaling some kind of change in the depth of your being, heed that voice. 

Use it to help write the most unlikely chapter in the lore of your life. 

And give yourself a history to be proud of. 



LET ME ASK YA THIS…

In which areas are you ready to move on to another season? 

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

Expectations are the track our relationship train runs on

There’s a widely cited study in a social psychology journal about the benefits of positive illusions with close relationships. 

Murray’s analysis proved that individuals were happier in their relationships when they idealized their partners and their partners idealized them. In fact, her research found that a certain degree of idealization or illusion may be a critical feature of satisfying dating and marital relationships. 

Anyone who’s been coupled up for more than a year can attest to that. Humans need their illusions to live. Everyone has to let some lies into their life. And there’s nothing wrong with choosing to interpret people in a more positive light. 

We remember the past the way we need to. 

The danger is when we mistake those illusions for real life. The danger is when we connect our expectations with someone else’s behavior. The danger is we allowing the neurotic fantasy script inside our heads to be the arbiter of our reality. 

And all of these things are easy to do when our hearts are submerged in the glory of attraction, infatuation, love and dependency. 

Senge’s renowned book about building learning organizations comes to mind. It has nothing to do with marriage, but does reminds us about the sources of our cynicism. 

If we scratch the surface of most cynics, he says, we will find a frustrated idealist, someone who made the mistake of converting ideals into expectations. 

That’s the trap. We generate an unfeasible fantasy of people, and then hold them in contempt for falling short. Because we’re angry and disappointed. 

Thurber referred to this as the grief of relinquishing a romantic fantasy in the face of a disenchanting reality. 

And all goes back to idealization. Expectation. 

Two words that we ought to delete from our emotional vocabulary. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Have you relieved yourself of the burden of trying to make outcomes match our expectations?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

Fugitives from our place of profound identity

Maisel’s comforting book about making your creative mark reminds make a key point about identity management. 

He says that we must know what to do when we think we’ve lost our right to call ourselves something. We must have a game plan, orchestrated in advance, so that when our identity weakens, we know exactly what useful things we intend to do to strengthen it. 

During my own low periods of doubt, gloom and hopelessness about my creative process, my first go to tactic is exposure. Going back through my body of work and reviewing my old albums, films and books. 

Some of which were more successful than others, but all of which make me feel proud and confident about my artistic abilities, and thus, they reinforce my creative identity. 

It’s like my doctor always tells me during flu season. Flood yourself with fluids. 

The same principle applies to our identity. When we realize that we have fallen asleep to who we are, or that we’re not being seen for who we are, we can’t waste time beating ourselves up for losing our way. 

Instead, we go find things that are tied to our inner most sense of identity and tap into their totemic power. 

Remember, it is on our shoulders to nurture our artist identity. 

Each of us must plan for these identity collapse moments in advance by creating our own personal identity rehabilitation protocol. 


LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What will you do when you notice that your identity has begun to weaken or vanish?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

It’s the world’s first, best and only product development and innovation gameshow!


Tune in and subscribe for a little execution in public.

Join our community of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs

Sign up for daily updates
Connect

Subscribe

Daily updates straight to your inbox.

Copyright ©2020 HELLO, my name is Blog!