The Goth kids in South Park sorta have figured it out…
One of my favourite cartoons of all time is South Park. I love them, it’s been a big part of life (for like forever) and I have even taken my love of South Park to the point where I have even designed Mr. Garrison as a character in my latest game of game XCOM2.
In this great show, you have the ‘Goth Kids’. They are the group of kids who hang out, drink coffee, smoke cigarettes and they hate all the ‘Conformists’ (with the running joke being that if you want to be a nonconformist – you have to dress like and act they like do).
Even though I have hardly a ‘Goth’ or ‘Emo’ (I feel comfortable wearing Polo tops and Designer Shorts), I tend to relate to these kids in my own life. Over the past few years, I have had this strange situation (especially in the last 6 months), where my success has been growing. As you know, as you get more successful – you start becoming different and ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ can kick in.
I have had a few notable people really try and tell me off for the way I dress, behave differently, not accept me – even though I am succeeding getting the results. Strangely enough I took a ‘bit of it’ for a short while, but there were a few incidents where they went too far and woke up my sleeping giant within. It’s funny actually, I don’t go around telling anyone to dress in certain shirts, tell them to go the gym or play some moral high horse – so why do they do it to me?
That actually doesn’t concern me, it’s more the fact that I want to be myself, my heart is in the right place and I am getting the results. Sure, if I wasn’t getting the results, come after me – but if you are getting it, they have got no case.
You can probably read into my frustration which is true! I have learned some big lessons from all this that I’d love to share with you.
This is it being – be open, be yourself and make sure you are getting results. If you aren’t getting results, it’s very hard to stand there and ‘be different’. But if you are getting results being different, then no one has got nothing on you. If they try and tell you how to act / behave, put them in their place. They have no right to do that and you have full rights not to have to put up with that.
In fact, I bet if you are reading this article – you must totally be able to relate to me. I spent many years of my life being a doormat – don’t do it my friend (if you are). Go hard, push back and be the awesome character you are destined to be.
Love your work, thanks for the read, thank you South Park and stay awesome!
2 Responses
Hi Edward,
I love the authentic you!
It is my believe that when the heart is in the right place, the results will come. We don’t even have to go and ‘get’ it. The right circumstances and people will appear along the way.
Very sadly, far too many people care too much how others see them or how they are going to look whilst on the journey to great success. It is exactly that concern that is keeping them under-performing!
That is exactly right and love your building on the thinking here. My whole point here is let’s say “Edward you aren’t performing”. In that scenario, that is perfect – they are welcome to come after me with everything they have.
That is not the issue though, we are getting results and doing great, I don’t tell them how to live their lives (unless they ask) yet they are all happy to play expert and dish out advice (which I have followed at time to my own demise). This has changed everything for me.
Love your work and thanks Viola Tam the Business Mum! Appreciate your great comments.