I have a great friend and mentor, named Kevin Hall.  He is an amazing guy really.  And he just wrote a brand new book called…

Aspire By Kevin Hall

(The actual title is “Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words“)

BUT PLEASE DON’T READ THIS BOOK UNLESS:
- You want to be inspired to aspire

-You want to understand what true leadership is all about

-You want to grow, be better in every way.

Now, on the other hand, if you’re into that becoming more kind of thing, I

almost demand that you read this book.

Seriously, one of the best books I have read in a long, long time.

Tomorrow, I have an interview scheduled with Kevin to talk all about it, and hopefully it will light some fire

under you in a powerful and positive way…

Below Is Something I Wrote Right After Reading The First Chapter When I Recieved An Advance Copy, It Was That Powerful…

My Thoughts On : Aspire Discovering Your Purpose Through The Power Of Words, By Kevin Hall

(PS as I write this Kevin is only about 100 copies away from hitting the Amazon Best Seller List! If you’re at all interested in a powerful read and some amazing insights, pick up a copy and help Kevin reach his goal.  I loved the book and it would really be a great gift as well so maybe pick up two… then they’ll give you the free shipping

If you insist on BUYING IT YOU CAN DO SO HERE: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061964549?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwandrewjame-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061964549

May 26^th, 2009

Genshai, The Secret Word:

“Never, ever treat anyone in a way that would make them feel small.  That includes never treating yourself small.”

-       The Meaning of “Genshai” from “Aspire” by Kevin Hall

I was recently at one of my very best friends homes.  He and I have always had a special connection in our love of reading and discovering life changing principles through many of the same books, speeches, and teachers.  One of those teachers he introduced me to is an author, trainer and coach, Kevin Hall.  I know Kevin, and have met him only a few times, but have always left better than I came.  When I was first introduced, Kevin was working on a book that was to be titled, “The Power Of Words.”

I have anticipated it for a long time, and have been so excited to read it.  Finally, last night, Brandon told me it was ready and gave me a copy of the book.  I just finished the first chapter and it is truly life changing if I can apply it.  The first word that Kevin teaches is Genshai.  Like I quoted above it means never making another feel small, no matter how small they are.

There are six words that over time have become more potent and powerful to me than any others.

“I Am A Child Of God.”

The deepness and richness of their meaning is so deeply profound to me.

Whatever your definition of belief in a divine creator, higher power or God may be, the deep meaning of these words is enriched by what Kevin Hall calls “The Secret Word, ‘Genshai.’”  For me, understanding and believing these words, makes the concept of genshai come alive.  Because if I am a child of God, the greatest of them all, and you are too, then how could I ever think to treat you or myself as someone… small.

The Greatest Of Them All

All great men, truly great share this same almost sacred trait of practicing “Genshai.”

Some of these men include the great teachers and leaders of religion and people like, Jesus Christ, Budda, Ghandi, Mother Teresa, and Muhammad.

Others are great political leaders like Franklin D Roosevelt (I thought of stories about him from “How To Win Friends And Influence People” when I learned this word), and great CEOs and business leaders alike.

The way a great man or woman treats the smallest around him is definitely the truest measure of his greatness.

There are many others in my life who exemplify Genshai in everyday greatness, some of my best friends, my parents, business partners and many others.

Misunderstanding the word

The deepest lesson Kevin taught me in his book was practicing genshai towards yourself.  Actually, it was his friend Pravin a store owner in Vienna, Austria who taught him this lesson.

Practicing Genshai means not only never acting or speaking in a way that would make another feel small, but it means never acting, speaking or thinking in a way that you would allow yourself to make yourself feel small.

Kevin shared a quote from his journal that had profound meaning to me.

“The way I treat myself reflects the way I treat others.”

What does this have to do with business?

Well everything really.  A podcast and a discussion are probably in order to truly express this but just think of it.

As an entrepreneur you are here to serve people.  Business is designed to build what Emerson call the most beautiful compensation into our lives.  It is to make your life more full and more rich by enriching the lives of others.

You cannot serve others if you do not serve yourself.  This is a lesson I am still learning.  But viewed through this lens of genshai, it makes sense.  How can I truly avoid treating others as something other than small if I see myself as small?

Imagine how customer service would change if we really believed and practiced genshai.

Imagine how you would treat and take care of yourself and how productive you would be if you practiced genshai towards yourself.

Imagine how you would approach partnerships, joint ventures and the quality of your products if you practiced genshai.

You can still be competitive and practice genshai, in fact the more I think about it, the more I realize that you almost have to practice genshai to truly be a competitor.

Social Media Is All About Piercing Corporate Veils With Transparency

Would you buy differently from big companies if you knew you could get to the CEO with a problem?

Of course.  That transparency has a power to build brands and customer loyalty in a way and at a speed that is unprecedented by the restrictions of all past forms and mediums of communication.

In a place like twitter, real people from Jet Blue actually care about letting you know where the best sandwich is in the air port your flight leaves from.

Big names on face book actually reply to your question.

Real people at real companies actually care even if you are not a customer yet.

This is genshai.

Well, there is much more to the story and much more that I would love to have Kevin teach us.  I’ll do my best to set up an interview with him so he can more richly explain this amazing word, and some of the others in his new book “Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through The Power Of Words”

Leave a comment with thoughts, input or questions for Kevin and we will discuss it when I am able to do an interview with him.