Transcript
One of the key lessons in life, and I've learned this more and more as I have become a business owner and in some ways a leader of group programs and whatnot, is this?
Everything is optional.
And the first time I learned this lesson in a shocking way was when I was reading a book, No.
I Yeah.
I think it was I don't know.
I was listening to an interview of a a a prolific author.
And he was saying, you know, when I'm reading a book, If I don't like the page, I skip it.
And I was and maybe this is shocking for some of you.
You're allowed to skip pages in a book.
If I'm reading a chapter and I'm like, I skip it.
The guy said, and this guy is a prolific author.
I'm like, look, let me me stop.
What what just happened?
Someone told me I could skip a page in a book, and that was shocking me.
Some of you are like, well, obviously, but they was shocking to me because I have been a linear rule follower for much of my life because guess what?
That's what the school system turns us into.
Did you know that the school system, particularly in the, what, 19th 20th centuries, in in some part, in the 21st century, was built as a way to create factory workers.
Did you know this?
Look at look back at the school system.
Why are we sitting in rows?
And with books that we read from start to finish and the the supervisor, the boss slash teacher, tells us, alright.
Let's turn to page 1 now and read page 1 before you read page 2.
This is how you were inculcated.
This is how you were trained in your forehand mean, probably.
Probably you.
I don't know how old you are, but in your in our formative years.
So that's what we learn to do.
We gotta go from step 1 to step 2 to step 3.
And so much of education kind of like, well, you you do 1st grade before 2nd grade, obviously.
And as I've become more mature in my in my in my ways as a business owner.
I realized everything, freaking everything in life is optional.
Except maybe death and taxes.
And even that is optional.
Right?
More and more so.
As you learn to become a sappy business owner, taxes.
You mean, no.
I'm gonna do do this and do that.
Oh, I'm paying a lot less taxes now.
And death right now.
Can we can we cheat death?
No.
With technology these days, but also, you know, some of us believe there's life after death.
So, anyway, I just wanna let you know that even as you take my courses, I want you to feel free to skip around.
You have my permission to skip the page, skip the chapter that isn't immediately interesting for you and enjoyable and fun and and and well, maybe not fun.
But certainly enjoyable for you at a deep level.
At deep spiritual level, some things are not necessarily fun, travel.
At the shallow level, but they're enjoyable for our spirit, for our personal growth.
So skip around.
My courses don't have to be gone from step 1 all the way to step 185.
You can go to step 111.
Oh, that looks interesting.
I'm gonna go there first.
And very importantly, you are you have my permission to come to my q and a calls.
My q and a calls and when you sign them for any of my courses, you get access to some of my q and a calls.
Some of my q and a calls and say, George, Here's my situation.
Please summarize it in 30 seconds if you can.
What do you recommend?
What do you see as the next most reasonable or effective step?
That I should take.
If you were my shoes, what would you do, George?
And by the way, George, I haven't taken a single one of your courses.
Yes, I signed up for 85 of them.
But I haven't watched a single minute of it.
But just tell me what I should do.
You are totally welcome to do that.
You have my permission.
And why?
Because well, everything is optional.
Like, number 1, number 2, life ought to be enjoy.
And that's my that's the thing I find I I hope you will take away from this is that I want you to enjoy my courses, which means, like I said, feel free to skip around.
Find the lesson that jumps out to you and watch that one first.
And then find another one that jumps out and watch that one second.
Board of the 3rd lesson, skip the course, go on to another course, or go on to one of my YouTube videos.
I don't care.
You know, think I care that you buy my courses, but I don't care that you go to no.
Of course, I want you to get all the value you can.
But it's so funny.
Like, some people buy my courses, but they watch my my free videos much more religiously and they get the most value out of there.
I'm like, alright.
Whatever you want whatever you wanna do, it's just fine.
Some people buy my books, but then they just go and read occasional blog posts of mine, and and they don't read my books at whatever you wanna do is just fine as long as you're getting the value out of it.
Which means skipping around and doing things that you enjoy.
You have my permission to do that.
And the final lesson I'm gonna teach you is, You don't need my permission.
You need to practice the skill of giving yourself the permission.
To simply do what you enjoy, get the most value out of a situation, whether it's following step 1 or jumping directly to step.
77 or maybe.
So I hope this is helpful, and thank you for watching.
Of course, I welcomed your comments below on what you believe is most helpful from this or what insight do you have to give yourself and perhaps others on how to truly enjoy not just my course, but any any other course you take and any other personal and professional development that you do.
Thanks so much.
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Most important? Everything is optional 😄 Skip lessons & modules that aren't interesting to you!
Updated Jan 4, 2024
You're welcome to simply come to a Q&A call, and tell me your situation (briefly) and ask me my recommended next step :)
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As a teacher and autistic person I feel this video is mindblowing! I have always been a linear rule follower, and to understand this - that everything is optional, is a game-changer to me! Who would know I would learn something so fantastic at 65 years of age! I thank you!
Thank you, I needed to hear that!
Ooo! I'll try skipping this one! LOL!
I like it :) I also like to give people around me permission slips... you know how you'd get one from a teacher and you suddenly have free roam of the halls where no hall monitor can touch you!?!
But I think the ultimate permission slip would be to choose cool teachers (like you;) who like to free a student's mind :)
P.s. I'm back! After building our yurt on the farm, the day of the spring equinox, is the day I've been working towards to jump back into your courses and develop my work :) Thanks for holding out the carrot
Oh George, that is the most beautiful introduction and permission slip :) Thank you from my heart to yours :)
I really appreciate your philosophy :)
I love the freedom you put on the course@George Kao
Thank you
Thank you for "supporting" us to be flexible and joyfully skip around! (I acknowledge I grew up as a rule-follower also ...)
If there's one required lesson, it's this one ;-)