Smile and Wave, Boys, Smile and Wave

Keep Your Cool

“Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave.”

The Penguins from Madagascar

This is an excerpt from “You Don’t Have To” out now!

This chapter is for those of us with an idea that others don’t want. 

In the previous chapter, “That’s Stupid,” we talked about those people who really just don’t want to hear it. 

They might want to get the result you’re talking about but they’re not interested in the roadmap (or system or step) to get there.

Or at least not your roadmap. 

I haven’t seen the film for years but those penguins are still a hit. They even have their own spinoff movie. 

They can be a deceiving, conniving, sneaky bunch and there are several scenes in which they say their famous line. Usually, they’re hiding something. For example, they’re in the zoo and there’s a big bucket of fish behind them and they don’t want to attract attention to it (so they can then eat it all). 

In a way, this is similar. 

Although I take offense to calling myself and what I’m doing “deceiving, conniving or sneaky!” 

But in a way, that’s what others sometime think I’m doing. 

Remember, I’m an author. I’m a speaker, teacher, course creator, coach, and presenter. 

I’m up on stage or narrating words into microphones and I don’t even pretend that I’m not preaching something or teaching or sharing information or experiences. That’s exactly what I do. 

PRO TIP: It’s funny how creating works. Here I am writing this chapter about the penguins. I had a tiny idea to begin with but here I am 268 words into the chapter and I see that it’s even more relevant than I had imagined. Please take this into consideration when you’re debating whether or not you could or should create something today. You never know where it’s going to go and it could explode into an awesome chapter. Or, sure, it could also dud out and fizzle into the nothingness. A risk every single time I put fingers to the keyboard or hit record. A risk I’m willing to take 100% of the time.

Where were we?

Oh yes, deceiving, conniving or sneaky.

I honestly believe that some people honestly believe that I’m trying to trick them. 

Sort of a side note … do you know much about vitamin D? If you read a bit about it, it’s a bit of a wonder vitamin. In fact, if you read a bit more, you might learn it’s not even a vitamin. However, do you see ads for vitamin D? No. Why not? 

Simple. There’s no money in it. 

Water. There’s another. I have an entire chapter on it. Am I trying to sell you fancy water? No. Tap is fine. It’s a freaking wonder element. 

I’ve been wanting to make a YouTube sketch (very SNL) about the team planning the catering for the Intermittent Fasting Conference. 

I laugh just imagining the scene: 

“So Jill, do you have the welcome drink covered?” 

“Got it, Fernando. Water glasses will be half full.” 

“Awesome. Slim Jim, you have the hors d’oeuvres ready?”

“But Fernando … “ 

“Just kidding, Jim, I know there aren’t any hors d’oeuvres! Jill, what about dessert?” 

“Uh … “

“Kidding! Gotcha!” 

I know, I have my own sense of humor. If you’d like to hire my “Intermittent Fasting Catering Company” for your next event, just go to emptyplates.com. 

Are you feeling how I’m feeling like the penguins yet?

Here I am in a book suggesting you: 

1. Don’t eat anything
2. Meditate alone
3. Create something

What could I sell? A pen? 

OK, now I’m really feeling the conniving penguin. Of course I could make all of this easier for you—and that IS my dream. 

Here, I’ll share. 

I’d love to have a 5-day workshop where we don’t eat much, we wake up early and meditate, and then we create stuff. 

So what am I “selling”? 

TriTiTo

This comes from my “How to Write Your Easiest Book Ever” program which stands for: 

• Trigger
• Time
• Together

There’s an action or Trigger (a workshop) and reaction (your accepting the invitation) and a specific Time (5 days, starting e.g. April 1) and it’s not alone but Together with others. 

You could do it all on your own (well, except for that last part) on your own at no cost. Not only at no cost but you’d be saving money by buying less food! 

In a way, I’m a terrible businessman. I should be selling vitamin supplements, guided meditation audio, and courses on how to write books easily. 

Ha, OK, that last one is a joke because I DO offer a program on how to write books easily. 

Dear Reader, 

This chapter is getting out of hand. But I have to say, I’m loving it. This is Creation in Action. Yet on the one hand, I’m stating how innocent I am (by suggesting you don’t need to buy “no food” from me) yet I am in fact I do have a writing program so I’m not completely “innocent” like the penguins. But the penguins usually aren’t innocent either. See how I’m digging a hole for myself here? Yet I’m owning up to it, I’m being transparent, I’m stating it as I see it and I also believe in what I’m doing—unlike those sneaking penguins! 

The Author

This chapter started out for those of us, like myself, who want to help others. 

That’s it. Plain and simple.

Yet those others are not always understanding or willing or grateful or anything but annoyed that we’re trying to get them to do something they don’t want to do in the way we are suggesting and the way they don’t want to do it.

To them, I say plainly, and thus this book: You Don’t Have To. 

You know how those marketing companies offer scripts to use for your sales calls? Here’s the script for those who think what you’re doing is stupid. 

1. Person asks you how you’ve succeeded.
2. You tell them.
3. They ask for more detail. (PRO TIP: this could mean they don’t understand your process even if it’s super simple or more probably they don’t believe it could be so easy and/or simple to solve the problem you have solved but they haven’t.)
4. You provide more detail.
5. They prod for a different answer. 
6. You say you only have the one answer. 
7. They want a different answer.
8. You don’t have one.
9. You smile.
10. You say, “You Don’t Have To.” 
11. To which they have no response. 
12. To which you add the wave to your smile. 

Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave. 

• Possible: smile and say nothing
• Impossible: wave it all away
• Repossible: be the penguin