How Cee Lo Green Taught Me to Achieve


Ive got to make a confession. On November 9, 2010, my life changed. You see I was minding my own business, watching the Colbert Report, and saw Cee Lo Green pick up the microphone to finish the show by singing his hit single Forget You (aka [expletive deleted] You).

Since that day, that song has been playing in my head non-stopfor almost 6 months now. (By the way, if you havent heard it yet, open up YouTube and listen before reading further). Well wait, I'll put it right here. If you've seen this, skip it and scroll passed the video.




With a song stuck in my head for 6 months straight I had two options:
  • Punch myself very hard in the face and hope a different song would start playing in my head, or
  • Analyze the lyrics until I learned something useful.
    • Thats how Cee Lo Green taught me to achieve. Let me explain

    Ive never been all that productive of a person. You see, Ive always waited until I was good enough until I started taking meaningful action. I would do tons of work trying to become good enough, but since thats a pretty vague goal I tended to get stuck always preparing to take real action. I would rarely accomplish something meaningful.

    Luckily Cee Lo stepped in. You see, in Forget You he tells a beautiful story: guy loves girl, guy sees girl in a car with a rich dude, guy gets angry that he wasnt rich enough for her, guy says screw this. He sings, I guess the change in my pocket wasnt enough Im like, forget you! And moves on. He could have sang, I guess the change in my pocket wasnt enough Im likewell, I guess Ill get a second job, try to invest wisely, and eventually win you over. Not quite as catchy.

    The wise Cee Lo realized that it wasnt worth wishing he had more money, or waiting until he got his Ferrari. If that girl wasnt going be with himforget her. Realistically, even if he did w! ait unti l he got that cash, car, and xbox, that girl still wouldnt want him (or by then he would have been over her). So he started from where he was, not from where he hoped to be one day.

    What does any of this have to do with real world achievement?

    On one hand, most of us want our life to change in some way. On the other hand, most of us are waiting for something before we can really take action. Were waiting to finish a class, get a promotion, have a new situation, or find a direction. Many of us think that if only we had that one thing in our life happen, then we could start making progress.
    • I need a perfect outline before I write that essay or blog post
    • I need the perfect work out and diet plan before I start exercising
    • I need the perfect website, traffic, blog, or product before I can start an online business
    • I need to wait for the right time before I quite the job I hate
    I know what I did for the longest time is either:
  • work my butt off trying to be prepared enough to start making progress, or
  • pout and feel sorry for myself.
    • If only I had asked, WWCLD? (what would Cee Lo do?). He would have said, forget being good enough. I am where I am. I dont need to wait until Im good enough or ready. I am going to start moving forward from where I am right now.

    Start achieving like Cee Lo

    Im not telling you to go record a hit record (although if you do, referencing Mr. Ts catchphrase like Cee Lo does in Forget You is always the right choice). Instead, pick the one biggest goal you currently have in your life. Got it? Okay, I dont care if youre starting at zero in pursuing that goal. I dont care how much you have to learn before you can really do it. The most important thing you can possibly do is to say forget you to whatever you think you need to do before you act. Figure out how to take your first step now.

    Dont be like Cee Lo was before his Forget You kick. He had to borrow, beg and! steal a nd lie and cheat, trying to keep the girl. In the same way, youd have to work your ass off to get to a point where you are good enough to start taking real world action. Screw the ideal. Start from where you are right now.

    P.S. Ive not consulted Cee Lo, but Im pretty sure were best friends and he probably agrees with everything in this warped interpretation of his catchy song lyrics. Sorry Cee Lo if youre being misrepresented here!

    Written on 5/14/2011 Joey, an online business guy who loves talking about making actual accomplishments (not just theoretical personal development stuff). Check out his current project at http://findyourdamnpurpose.com. If you want your life to change, but dont know how to get started, click to check out the 100% free video course on finding a useful purpose.Photo Credit: Travis Hornung




    Popular posts from this blog

    Dangerous Harvests: 2nd Anniversary Post Week

    Image
    This week, the blog turns two years old. How did that happen? Honestly, I had no idea what would come of this when I started it, but here we are. The following is the first post I ever made, back on March 23, 2009. A lot has changed in my life since then, but other things aren't all that different really. Anyway, here it is. I'll plan on reposting more of those early pieces, in part because they came before I had much of an audience. But also, because it's kind of fun to look back. Enjoy! Let me begin with a quote from Dogen, a 13th century zen master, from his teaching "Tenzo Kyokun." "Under no circumstances allow anyone who happens to be drifting through the kitchen to poke his fingers around or look into the pot." Now, let's take yourself/myself. You and I, we probably enjoy entertainment, right? In fact, we probably are more than willing to let someone drift into our world if they will entertain us away from our problems, our suffering. And isn&#
    Keep reading

    From The Under 35 Project: “A Good Death”

    Image
    From The Under 35 Project: “A Good Death” His Holiness the Dalai Lama sends congratulations to the Australian Prime Minister and the President of Mongolia His Holiness the Dalai Lama sends congratulations to the Australian Prime Minister and the President of Mongolia Reports: China easing bans on Tibetans displaying Dalai Lama images Buddhist Monk, U Wirathu and the 969 Movement. Score one for the chimps — and all beings For the Sake of All Beings, We Vow This Conversation: A report from the Gen X Dharma Teacher Gathering Karmapa announces overhaul of Buddhist nuns’ education From The Under 35 Project: “A Good Death” Posted: 28 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT New from The Under 35 Project: A practitioner's thoughts on grief, death, and the loss of a parent. By Christa Joy . In her last days of life, we tended to Mom as though she were able to feel us, hear us, and experience the sensory world with us. Hospice had told us to continue on a
    Keep reading

    Ikeda calls for “nuclear abolition summit”

    Image
    Ikeda calls for “nuclear abolition summit” Ikeda calls for “nuclear abolition summit” Discover the Sacred Dwelling of the Heavenly Mother in Kuala Lumpur’s Holy Thean Hou Temple Symbolism of the Dharmachakra Buddhist Tours - 7 Places You Should Visit on Buddha Trail Buddhist Tours, Places to See and Places to Stay- Tour around or stay in comfort Buddhist Monks and Monasteries in Thailand Sarnath - A Depiction of India's Rich Buddhist Heritage The Contributions Of Asian Buddhists And The Popularity Of Zen Buddhist Tours India- Five Best Buddhist Sacred Sites Buddhist prayer beads - China PEM Fastener - Sheet Metal cabinet Supplier The Dewdrop Slips Into The Shining Sea - Choral Piece Popular Buddhist Pilgrimage Spots in India and Nepal 65th Annual Northwest District Buddhist Convention coming to Spokane Buddhist Tour India: Credulous And Spiritual Soujourn Bangladesh’s “Bana Bhante” dies at age 93 Beginning Buddhist Meditation 201
    Keep reading