I watched this promisingly named TED talk with great appetite just now.  Finding the secret to self-motivation would do wonders for me as I try to stay focused on pushing this heavy, maddeningly successful but even more maddeningly unsold, program up the hill.   It will succeed or fail as a program and business based on my self-motivation, based on how well I learn to confidently and succinctly package and sell it.  It all depends, now, on my salesmanship.  Salesmanship which I must learn on my own, without dependable feedback, except for one or two people by email.

I watched the excellent presentation by an engaging psychology professor.  During the course of a snappy talk, illustrated by paradiddles, rim shots and other stages of his long ago progress on the snare drum, he reveals the secret: acquire competence by getting good feedback, be encouraged by encouragement, encourage others, avoid the fear of failure and replace it with the desire to succeed because you like what you’re doing, be part of a community of people who give good feedback and encouragement.

Fuck.  

Thanks, professor.