Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 12/23/2024
These are times of astounding incivility, harassment, and dismissiveness. These acts are based on a posturing of moral superiority, as if mere disagreement denotes an inferior being.
There is a line in Morris West’s The Navigator which states: “And that’s the terror of the high place, and the high man. Is it God he hears or the echo of his own mad shouting?” Hillary Clinton most probably sealed her election defeat with the observation that those who would vote for her opponent were the “deplorables.” This time is was Joe Biden calling Trump supporters “garbage.” The arrogance of such statements and such positions is appalling. I’m not taking a political position, but rather a social one: We understandably reject people who feel our opinion is not to be respected, but immediately rejected, because it originates in some lower intelligence.
But we are mostly filled with hubris. We live in an indeterminate universe, acting as if we understand infinity, and light years, and black holes. We know virtually nothing of its origins or nature. (A “big bang” before which there was nothing? “Nothing” has no meaning if there isn’t “something” to which to compare it.) When praised for discovering universal laws of the cosmos, Einstein replied, “Yes, but the question is really who made the laws?”
During a recent scientific journey in Peru’s Alto Mayo region in the Amazon rain forest, researchers identified 27 new species of animals and indications of another 48, all previously unknown to science. And, of course, we have very little idea of what lives in the abyssal depths of the great oceans.
We do know that we live on a hunk of rock speeding through a vacuum at 85,000 miles per hour, around an exploding star. Don’t tell me you have no faith.
I’m not proselytizing, not suggesting a belief in a deity is required, though I would remind everyone that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. I am suggesting that the arrogant, polarizing behaviors extant in the land are basically caused by low esteem, by the fear of trying to confront the unknowable, and the comfort of kidding ourselves that we truly understand the arcane solar systems and galaxies.
A little humility might go a long way this holiday season, and it just may be developed and instantiated during this time of purported tolerance and forgiveness, of presents given and received, and of church bells ringing and choirs singing, “Joy to the World.”
From Maria and me, my friends, whatever your beliefs, in the true spirit underlying it: Merry Christmas!
Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling. —Edna Ferber
Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection. —Winston Churchill
Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store. —Dr. Seuss
WRITE ME IF YOU’D LIKE TO ATTEND “BUILDING DYNAMIC BUSINESSSS COMMUNITIES” BASED ON MY NEW BOOK RELEASED THIS MONTH. TWO MORNINGS ON ZOOM, JANUARY 14-15, DEVELOP “EVERGREEN” EXPANSION BUSINESS, REFERRALS, ENDORSEMENTS, AND, GENERALLY, PEOPLE REQUESTING THAT YOU TAKE THEIR MONEY! $5,000, 90-day support, write me for one of the spots, small group: [email protected]
Zoom Workshops 2025: January 7: High potential marketing for 2025. The key market segments and avenues to reach them. February 4: Fearlessness. How to be bold and assertive in any situation. March 4: Conversation with a star. A candid conversation with a success in my community. April 8: Creating unsolicited referrals. An oxymoron, perhaps, but there is a system. May 6: Gaining financial security. Stop guessing about “how much is enough.” June 3: Conversation with a star. A candid conversation with a success in my community. July 8: Dramatic conversational pivot pointsHow to move any conversation to your destination. August 12: Improving and sustaining an abundance mentality. Understanding that abundance is not what you have but rather who you are. September 9: Conversation with a star. A candid conversation with a success in my community. October 7: Self-Awareness and self-honesty. The greatest lies are the ones we tell ourselves and believe. November 4: Questions you always wanted to ask. I’ll amass the questions, but you’re invited to comment. December 9: High potential marketing for 2026. The key market segments and avenues to reach them. Each session is $450 or $5,000 for the year. Recordings are included within 24 hours. Add $2,500 for five, 30-minute coaching sessions one-on-one. Time: 10:30-12:00 US eastern time. https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/zoom-workshops-2025/
An Alan Live Experience: Beyond Success: What happens when you’re meeting your aspirations, when your lifestyle is fabulous, and your prospects are excellent? How much is “enough”? Is there a “retirement”? How do you change (or sell) your business and IP? Are philanthropy, volunteering, and service right for you? Are you able to care for family and important others? What will keep you excited and positive—and “youthful”?
We’ll explore this and more over two days of intense discussion and exercises in a small group. We’ll get together in Los Angeles for two 9-to-4 days, June 11 and 12, including a reception. As you know, you’ll learn a lot from your colleagues and peers in that room. $7,500. https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/beyond-success/
Master Master Class 2025: I’m happy to once again offer the unique Master Master Class in 2025. It will be in the exquisite Newport area on March 12-13, two full days of learning, experimenting, and building new collegial relationships.
We will achieve:
- New offerings and IP for a volatile, No Normal® world.
- A consistent “voice” of expertise in your market—a “go to” magnetism and attraction.
- The identification and evaluation of your existing “body of work” to be repurposed and exploited for passive income.
- A book idea—commercially published or self-published, hard copy or electronic, written by you or “ghosted”—that will establish and perpetuate your stature. • The HOV lane for advisory work with high fees and low labor.
- The confidence and presence to deal successfully with anyone at any time in any environment. (Very special role plays.)
This will be all new material from prior Master Classes. The fee will be $15,000 which includes lodging and most meals and a reception. (This will probably be the last Master Class I conduct in person, on site. No, I’m not kidding.) I have three people already attending simply by hearing me discuss this informally. My limit is a dozen people. It will not be recorded, but you may attend by Zoom, although I caution you on the intrinsic disadvantages of so doing. Attendees may record the session on their own.
The fee will be $15,000 which includes lodging and most meals and a reception. (This will probably be the last Master Class I conduct in person, on site. No, I’m not kidding.) Write me to apply: https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/master-master-class-2025/
