One thing that I learned in music school was song songwriting. In the "Craft" of songwriting a common misnomer of the writer is the emotional impact or the reaction of the listener to your song. It has to be understood fully by the writer that though the song might very well be inspired by a highly emotive situation, feeling or moment in time for you, it might not translate that way to the listener. This is a common roadblock for those that write songs that are very impacting to them, but falls flat when released to the masses. This becomes disheartening for the writer and sometimes quashes a good spirit outright.
In the business world I am finding this thematically appearing time and again. I see people that are blazingly passionate about what they are doing. Be it their business, their product, their non-profit or movement. No matter what it is, they cannot understand why more people have not attached themselves to what it is that is exciting them.
In looking deeper, I notice that the first disconnect comes when the passionate person or organization does not realize that though they have spent weeks, months, even years developing and laboring to bring that passion into fruition, the people they are wanting to attach to their thing are getting it for the first time, or do not have the history with it that they do. Though it took umpteen years to develop, this is the new persons first touch. Their first impression. Or maybe they have seen it many times (can you say the law of seven?), but are just now adopting it into their world view.
The second disconnect I see is in ownership. Not in giving up what you developed, perfected and presented to the world. But allowing for your thing to grow, flex or simply breath fresh air that is given by other people being involved. This is the hardest thing that the passionate people have accepting. It cannot be a rigid 'My way or the highway' attitude any longer. Like in creating a song, you put everything you have into it. You paint the picture of the moment, but the great songwriter allows for modifications to the story. Allows for the listener to paint his emotions, speak about his moment or situational experience into the song, thus making it partially his own. This is why when a great songs comes on the radio, we pause and listen. We are taken back to that feeling, that moment or situation every time. Because we own a part of it.
If your business, product or cause will allow others to paint in their feelings, emotions and situations into the picture, it will help them to own a piece of it. And at that point you will be a multi-platinum, award winning passionate person.
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