Fear, Success and Self-Loathing

I suppose no matter how successful someone is, there is an innate tendency in most of us to think we are not.  I, for instance, can count innumerable flaws within myself, and can easily recite failures galore.  I'm a tortured soul, as my wife says.  All too often I worry that I might be one of those referred to in the following quote:

"How many people there are that could be described as mere channels for food, producers of excrement, fillers of latrines, for they have no other purpose in this world; they practice no virtue whatsoever; all that remains after them is a full latrine."
         Leonardo DaVinci, from Leonardo, the Leonardo DaVinci biography by Serge Bramley

So to avoid hyperventilation or semi-suicidal thoughts, I try to recall favorite sayings like the following that reside in my filing cabinet's treasure trove of inspirational comments.  Once again reviewing these two speech excerpts I heard years ago makes me feel a bit better.  It's corny, but true.

“Fear is the darkroom where all our failures are developed.”
        Joey Reimann, from a speech given to the Utah Advertising Federation, December 1991

“I wake up to find I’m still alive. 500 points. I have clean clothes to wear. 500 points. I have good food to eat. 500 points. I have a great wife. 500 points. I have a job. 500 points. I have a place to lay my head on consecutive nights. 500 points. Before I even get out of bed I have 3,000 point! Why shouldn’t I be positive?!”
          Tony Marsalla, Motivational Speaker

Lose the Fear.

Did you notice the BMW magazine ad that's been appearing of late. It's a two-page spread, nicely designed --although there's nothing stunning about the visuals. Rather, the stunning part of the ad was the copy. (Spoken like a true copywriter, eh?)

The ad's verbiage can just as easily be applied to life as to a car. It's also highly appropo when it comes to creating advertising. Here's what it said:

Lose the fear.

Lose the groupthink.

Lose the yes-people.

Lose the proper channels.

Lose the chain of command.

Lose the safety nets.

Lose consensus.

Lose the happy medium.

Lose the compromises.

Lose Plan B.

Somewhere along the road to success lie the cones of mediocrity, urging you to take the expected route. To this we counter with the counsel to steer clear of the middle of the road.

A fine piece of advice. I will promptly throw away anything that resembles a white flag of surrender. I will perform my duties, as a father and ad man, with more faith, upgraded optimism and a finer finish than ever. Thank you, BMW, for the motivational speech.