Steve Goodier Wisdom: The Power of Solitude

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom about solitude. Enjoy!

Herman Melville’s classic, Moby Dick, portrays the whaling industry of his time. In today’s world, his book may likely upset readers who share more enlightened attitudes about the use and abuse of  animals. But a scene in the story can teach us even today something about the power of solitude and focus in daily life.

Melville gives us a turbulent scene in which a whaleboat scuds across a frothing ocean in pursuit of the great white whale. The sailors are laboring to keep the vessel on course in a raging sea, every muscle taut. They labor furiously as they concentrate on the task at hand. In Captain Ahab’s boat, however, there is one man who does nothing. He doesn’t hold an oar; he doesn’t perspire; he doesn’t shout. He is languid — utterly relaxed, quiet and poised. This man is the harpooner, and his job is to patiently wait for the moment. Then Melville gives us this sentence: “To insure the greatest efficiency in the dart, the harpooners of this world must start to their feet out of idleness, and not out of toil.” Read more

The Genius Code: How One Step Creates Everything

You may think that passionate, successful people shot up as an arrow one day — knowing exactly what they wanted to do. They drew up the perfect business plan on crisp white paper, not a grape jelly stain in sight. Got it done. They’re lying on a beach right now–near a bonfire of self-help books.

Except that’s not the way brilliance rolls.

If you talk to actual successful, inspired people they tell you, “I had no idea what I was doing.” And then they share the same ramshackle story every time. One thing led to another and another. “I fell into it.” “I stumbled into it.” “It was grace, man.” You almost get the image of them flopping around and falling into great big barrels of honey and investment portfolios. You might just think they were all lucky bozos. But there is a technology to every one of these stories that you can use. It’s the arc of their magic, or the genius code, if you will. It’s this. They took one step in the direction of their hunch or desire. That’s it.

In my career, people have thought I must be a marketing genius or opportunity magnet. But I’d say that what passes as “genius,” is really me following a sacred whisper inside. My tiniest gestures net results that others spend years and wads of money to make happen. I’m a believer in following that inner voice, the wispiest silver thread, and allowing the Mistress of Tapestry to weave together the Big Picture and the flying carpet. Read more