Ho-oooo! Now that’s an incredibly jarring start to a podcast episode Ken, n’est-ce pas?
Yeah. It is.
But quite a few helpful, hilarious, and insightful stories are rooted in my mind, in relation to that phrase.
And I couldn’t pick just one to focus on, so I’m handing you three or four at once.
Don’t let your enthusiasm steamroll your people
That’s the key point I wanted to make.
Those of us on a larger mission and those of us who tend to draw inquiring/seeking souls our way have to be careful with how we proceed, once that hand’s been raised.
People tend to come to us looking for guidance, support, or helpful criticism.
How we respond to their questions and concerns can make or break the puppy of a personal growth nucleus we’ve just been made part of.
I’ve handled more than one personal evolution kickoff poorly
But the one that annoyed me most is how I didn’t help my friend Mike as best as I could have.
The one that pissed me off the most was a deranged puppy that needed to be culled from the project we were both working, in order for the fucking project to have a chance at success at all.
And the puppy that made me laugh the hardest was on the cover of a well known satire mag.
Not until this particular episode did I realize I had so much puppy material to work with. Enjoy!
Sponsor:
- Family Network Chiropractic in Kingston, NY: The only providers of NSA Chiropractic in the Mid-Hudson Valley
Key Points:
- First, a disclaimer; my memory played a trick on me: I have no idea when I first saw the “Or We’ll Shoot This Dog” Lampoon cover, as I would have been 5 years old. But I DO remember flipping the fuck out the first time I saw it!
- Your excitement, frustration, impatience, self-assuredness and much more can come out of you in a rush all over the face of whomever you’re trying to help. Don’t do that.
- However, some puppies need kickin’. An honest look at your whole life and what people may be holding you back will reveal which puppies (if any) these may be.
- Every time I try to build something with a partner, it never bears fruit. At least not any kind of fruit I find tasty. You might be like me, meaning you might have to find a way to use the energy of other people without directly employing those people.
- I miss the days of reading National Lampoon as a teenager. For good or bad, that mag had a huge effect on me.
Links:
- The original Mike Wahl post (Maybe we all get lucky and Mike makes a return to this idea)
- Steven King ‘On Writing’
- Marc Maron ‘Waiting For The Punch’
- Artist Philip Lekki on Facebook
- Outsiders Journey Podcast EPI-2: The one with the Megalomaniac, the Psychotic, and the ‘Puppy’
- Seven21 Media in Kingston, NY: where I met the 3 lunatics mentioned above (which had nothing to do with Seven21 themselves BTW)
- The photographer of this post’s featured photo: NIDHIN MUNDACKAL
The infamous National Lampoon, January 1973 “If You Don’t Buy this Magazine, We’ll Kill This Dog” cover
Philip Lekki: God Saving Him From Hell: Click for full sized image (opens in new window)
This chalk drawing hangs on my wall with pride and honor. It is one of the most deeply personal gifts anyone has ever given me. Thank you again, Phil! (sorry about the camera flash)
Philip Lekki: God Saving Him From Hell Thank You Message 2009: Click for full sized image (opens in new window)
Philip Lekki and I had a veteran-to-veteran and mental illness sufferer-to-mental illness sufferer talk one day in 2009. It went way deep, very fast and was hugely helpful to us both. Thanks also for the trust and faith in me Phil!