Like many people, my primary communication platform in the business world is LinkedIn. Given that one of my mantras is connect, create and communicate, I almost always connect with strangers who reach out to me if they seem aligned with the work I’m doing.
One of the people who reached out to me recently, is J.B. The Wizard. He seemed innocuous enough and although his title was ‘sales-y’ and I thought, ‘oh, this might not turn out so well’, I thought whatever, give him the benefit of the doubt!
We exchanged a few simple messages, all good.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I got a “personalized message” from him. An excerpt from this message reads as follows.
“I’m messaging you because we’re connected and if you have any questions about whether you’re living every part of your life to the fullest purpose and are unsure about stepping down from the CEO or leadership role or creating something entirely new and taking the company (and family) in a different direction, I created a short video that might help. The video shows my simple 5-step process called “Futuring™ Now” to help you instantly know if you have what it takes to reach your goals and know exactly who you are (and if you Truly want to become a Billionaire). P.S. I wrote this and it’s not automated.”
Say wha?? Or rather, Say WTF?
He obviously didn’t look at my profile. I don’t think it would take much investigation to note my ideology and philosophy. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a form letter IF it is sent to vetted audience members.
(You are reading a form letter right now! And I love each and every one of you.)
Worse, I find this tremendously arrogant and superficial and representative of all the stupid sh*t out there that people need to sift through as they ACTUALLY try to live a good life.
And, the notion that everyone wants to be a billionaire – “if you know exactly who you are” – is a crock. This, in and of itself, needs to change. We must learn to get what we need, lightly season it with what we want, and know when we have enough.
I have zero interest in becoming a billionaire. In fact, my assertion is that ‘wanting to be a billionaire’ is one of the most nefarious mindsets going these days – a bloated sense of self and righteous deservedness; praying and sacrificing at the altar of the almighty dollar, literally at the expense of everything and everyone else.
Do you want more money? If so, why? How much? What will it take to get it? How are those actions aligned with your values? What are your values? What will having more money mean to your life?
Often, the answer is ‘money = freedom’. Ask yourself:
When did I feel most free?
How much money did I have then?
What were the other variables that led to that sense of freedom?
How might I get some of that again?
Sometimes, the answer is not more money but a shift in perspective, less baggage, fewer responsibilities, and more time to just be.
If you’ve got a suggestion for a Cat Say What topic, simply email me at catherine@purplevoodoo.ca.
