The Most Popular Question

With eager anticipation, you enter the networking event hoping you will meet new people. Armed with business cards, pressed clothes and a genuine smile, you are prepared to walk away with new connections.

Upon entering the room, your eyes meet the eyes of a stranger. They, too, are there for one reason. Networking.

Knowing this stranger is about to become an acquaintance, you approach them with a “hello, my name is…”, accompanied by a firm handshake. They reply with their name and “It’s nice to meet you!”

The words that follow proceed from their lips as the question most frequently asked at events like this…

“So, what do YOU do?”

With elevator speech firmly etched in your mind, you proceed to share your story.

And that’s what it’s really about, isn’t it? Your story.

You see, I firmly believe that everyone has a story to tell. Now not everyone is telling their story, and many of us are in the process of writing our story. But for the most part, we can all say that we’ve “been there, done that” in some respect. We have a story to tell.

While the story doesn’t necessarily define who we are, in all likelihood it comes from a significant place inside us. That’s because our story is most often the result of who we have become and what we have experienced.

I’m of the mindset that everyone who walks the face of earth has been created with God with passions, talents, skills, abilities, personality and presence, all of which whose combination are what make us entirely unique. Who we are is so unique that there has never been a person just like us, nor will there ever be one.

Because we are uniquely designed, one may conclude that each one of us bring a unique value to the world around us. I’m not talking about our value as human beings. Certainly, we all have intrinsic value just because we are human.

I’m referring to the value we bring through the passions which make us get out of bed in the morning, the talents which help us to stand out from the crowd, the skills which we have honed through the crucible of experience, the abilities which cause others to pay attention to us, the personality that defines how others experience us and the presence that says “I am here and I matter!”

The value we bring has the potential to not only affect, but to change, other people’s lives. I’m talking about YOU, now. The value which YOU bring has the potential to change the course of your family, your community, your region, your country and the world.

Yes, you are that significant. And what you do, how you do it and why you do what you do are all very important.

We live in a celebrity culture. We tend to elevate those who achieved some degree of recognition above the rest of us.

I’m not saying there isn’t value in learning from a New York Times best-selling author, supporting a passionate politician or seeking to emulate the path of a successful businessperson.

But when you think about the most remarkable people you know, aren’t they people that you actually know Where do they find the greatest passion? Who is truly impacting your world?

I think you’ll agree that it is your childrens’ teachers, the volunteers at the homeless shelter in your community, the local band that plays at the summer fair, the civil engineers that make your roads safe, the baker who creates delicious treats, the firemen who risk their lives daily, and the countless other people in your neighborhood, who are truly the heroes that surround your every day. Their passion, talents, skills, ability, personality and presence permeate your realm to bring a never-ending stream of value to your life and to the lives of those around you.

I would assert that there is far more wisdom in the unsung heroes of your world than there is in the people we place on pedestals.

Yes, there is genius surrounding you. And that genius may be next door.

My new book, So What Do YOU Do? Discovering the Genius Next Door with One Simple Question, is a book of stories; stories from people like you and me; people with something to say. Each one has been chosen because of the unique value they bring to the world around them.

Whether focused on relational topics such as becoming a better spouse or parent, technical topics dealing with design or the law, or creative topics such as music and the arts, the individuals in this book are passionate. They have something to say, and they have value which they desire to bring to your world.

The forty-six authors within will excite you as you discover the breadth and depth of their passion and knowledge. They will inspire you to look at the world a little differently. And perhaps they will challenge you to come out from your own personal comfort zone, either by gently pulling you into their world, or by causing you to take a closer look at the value you are, or wish, to bring to those around you.

So, what do you do is a simple question. But behind the question is a passionate person wanting to shout their story from the rooftop in hopes of impacting their world.

I hope these stories impact you in a positive way. Join me as we discover the genius next door.

(from the introduction of So What Do You Do)

The book is available today, and I hope you\’ll pick up a copy. When you do, not only do you get a FREE digital version for you to begin reading immediately, but you\’ll also receive a number of other bonuses, such as my books The AdSense Code: 2nd Edition AND Click Here to Order: Stories of the World\’s Most Successful Internet Marketing Entrepreneurs.

You will also have the opportunity to discover how your story might appear in a future edition of So, What Do You Do.

I invite you to pick up your copy today, and unleash the genius within.