Episode 367: Moving Fear, Finding Meaning & Spreading Big Ideas with Seth Godin

On this weeks episode I sit down with Seth Godin. Seth Godin is a teacher and author who has written over 20 best-selling books and is renowned in the marketing, direct marketing, and gorilla marketing hall of fame. During the episode, Seth shared his philosophy on life and how he has been able to live a fulfilling and successful life by being a "meaningful specific" instead of a "wandering generality." We delved into the importance of finding your passion and being fully committed to it, as well as the difference between golf and surfing as metaphors for life. Seth also emphasizes on the power of small acts of kindness and humanity, and how they can give us significance in life. Overall, it was an insightful and inspiring conversation that will leave you feeling motivated to pursue your own passions with dedication and purpose.

What We Discuss:

Philosophy of Life [00:03:56]
Seth talks about his philosophy of life and how he has been trying to work on things that he is proud of and that solve interesting problems.

Surfing vs Golf [00:05:54]
Seth explains the difference between surfing and golf as metaphors for life and how he is more interested in surfing, which is a more creative process than golf, which is asymptotic toward perfection.

Meaningful Specific [00:07:35]
Seth discusses the importance of being a meaningful specific rather than a wandering generality and how people can find their meaningful specific by making a specific promise and keeping it.

The Fear and the Practice [00:09:11]
Seth and Stu discuss why people fear picking a specific thing to do and the importance of being a meaningful specific rather than a wandering generality.

Things You Can't Unsee [00:14:20]
Seth talks about the common ways people see the world that they need to shift to live a happy and fulfilled life, including the indoctrination of public school and the illusion of correlation between wealth and intelligence.

Commencement Speech [00:16:59]
Seth shares what his commencement speech would be about, emphasizing that people already know what to do and just need to ship the work, create possibility for others, and be missed if they are gone.

The Power of Being a Meaningful Specific [00:20:04]
Seth explains how being a "meaningful specific" can help you discover your purpose and contribute in a way that people care about.

The Weight of Purpose in Today's World [00:23:00]
Seth discusses how the smartphone has made people feel more disappointed, bitter, and depressed about purpose, and how we should focus on being human and contributing in small ways.

The Power of Streaks [00:25:25]
Seth talks about the power of streaks and how they can help you stay committed to a goal, using his own daily blog post streak as an example. He suggests starting a streak of sending one thank you note a day to someone who you cannot get anything in return from.

The Practice That Sticks Out [00:27:50]
Seth explains why he chose a specific practice for his audience and how it can light up someone else's life.

The Importance of Finding a Fulfilling Job [00:29:17]
Seth discusses the importance of choosing a job that aligns with one's values and passions, rather than just being a cog in the machine.

Spreading the Idea of Doing Meaningful Work [00:35:01]
Seth and Stu discuss how to spread the idea of doing work that is fulfilling and meaningful, including sharing books and doing small, generous acts for others.

Acts of Humanity [00:36:51]
Seth talks about the significance of small acts of kindness and generosity towards others.

Stop Looking for Advice [00:38:19]
Seth shares his philosophy on advice and why he believes people should stop looking for it.

Committing to Doing [00:41:19]
Seth discusses the idea of committing to doing something without worrying about the outcome or making a statement in writing.

Episode Resources:

Seth's Blog (Website)

Seth's Website

Seth's Book "The Song Of Significance" (Website)