Thread by @Camp4

🔐The Unlock

About 15 years ago I had a very strange encounter.

I was at a backyard party and an older man—he looked to be in his 70’s—came up to me and said…

“You don’t know me but I’ve been watching you all evening and... 🧵👇

...I think you’re going to do big things in life. But fear is holding you back.”

He caught me completely off guard—one of the rare moments when I’ve been speechless. He continued…

“Here’s what I’d like you to do:

Go to a river or lake and pick up 7 stones. Hold each stone and think about one of your fears. Then toss each stone into the water and let those fears go.”

Now remember, I grew up around hustlers & was taught that if you don’t know who’s being hustled then it’s you. So...

...I dismissed the old man as a kook, politely excused myself, and moved on with life.

🤔But every once in a while I’d remember that conversation.

Years later I found myself standing at the shore of a lake and it reminded me of the old man. So I thought “why not?” and did as the old man had suggested. I cast 7 stones representing 7 fears into the water. And…

...nothing happened. I was exactly the same person as before.

I continued to think about that old man from time to time and as I’ve gotten older I’ve gained more perspective on the encounter.

👉His advice had nothing to do with throwing rocks—that was a red herring.

I think he was planting the seed of an idea and knew it needed a clever package to take root in my mind. Clearly it worked because here I am 15 years later recounting the story to thousands of my closest friends.

And not only did the seed take root, it sprouted…

Now I find myself saying similarly kooky things to young people when I see something that they might not yet have the perspective to see themselves. And like the old man, I tend to use a bit of theater to make sure the seed takes root.

Here’s what I’ve concluded:

Your peers can tell you how to DO. They live in the here & now and are in the trenches with you. Their advice is relevant & actionable, but mostly tactical.

But…

Older, more experienced people can tell you how to BE. They often see a bigger picture and...

...have knowledge that can only be gained through experience. They’ve been down many roads & have seen how things play out over the long course of time.

Their advice may seem kooky & confusing but we shouldn’t dismiss it because it might be just the unlock we need. 🔐

🎬Here’s a great example:

In the movie City Slickers, Billy Crystal plays an unhappy NY yuppie who joins his friends on a cattle drive that turns into a voyage of self discovery.

The old wise cowboy, Curly, tells Crystal...

...that he won’t find the answers he seeks—on the prairie or anywhere—because the answer is inside.

“The secret to life is… just one thing.”

So here’s what I’d like you to do: Go to a river or lake and pick up 7 stones…

🤙