My cousin, Dustin, called me the other day asking what I thought about the debt ceiling thing.
He owns a construction business and is concerned that if the people in DC don’t strike up a deal soon, federal employees will lose their jobs, and the housing market will tank.

He then went on to talk about:

How we have an octogenarian in office who’s running the country into the ground.

That Russia, China and a bunch of other countries are threatening the dollar,.

And how men dress up like women to win at women’s sports. And, that everyone’s ok with it.

I was like, “Slow down, man, you can’t let all this sh*t distract you.

Yeah, the world seems crazy ’cause that’s what they want us to think.”

But you can’t really blame him for being concerned. The NEWS has this fear-pourn stuff on full-blast all day long.

And, I have a theory as to why.

It has to do with a part of our brains called the amygdala (“ah-MIG-dah-la”), it’s where fear is created.

And what happens is– When you switch on government-controlled lamestream news, the amygdala kicks into gear and starts churning out bad thoughts.

But why would government-controlled media want to scare us?

Maybe because keeping people fearful shuts down their reasoning capability and causes them to be reliant on others for solutions.

Of course, this isn’t a new concept…Big business uses fear in advertising every day.

Make a problem seem bigger and scarier than it actually is through advertising, then sell a solution to the problem.

What a business model!

But rather than giving in to the fear or taking one side over another and getting distracted, like my cousin, I suggest you concentrate on moving forward.

Because when you stop focusing on negative things and put your energy into improving your life and the lives of those you love, all those time-wasting thoughts and activities get shoved to the side.

And you’re much happier.

When you accept that you can only impact things within your control and have a plan for getting ahead, the world automatically seems brighter.

Then, rather than seeing challenges as setbacks, you’ll begin to see them as opportunities for growth.

I’ll give you an example of what I mean.

Benjamin Franklin was a prominent politician and one of the founding fathers of the United States. But he wasn’t without enemies.

He had a rival who hated his guts deeply and did everything he could to ensure old Ben’s legislative efforts and aspirations for higher office were always challenged.

Well, Ben didn’t just sit back and take the abuse.

He devised a plan.

Ben knew that his rival loved rare books, and so, one day, he sent the man a letter asking if he could borrow one of his books.

Being a gentleman, the rival agreed to loan Ben the book.

After reading the book, Ben returned it with a personal note expressing his gratitude while briefly commenting on some of the passages.

The next time they met in the legislature, the rival spoke to Ben in a kind manner. And eventually, the two became great friends, clearing the path for Ben.

Ben’s problem was solved.

This story is behind what’s called the “Ben Franklin effect.”

Which is described as a psychological phenomenon where people like someone more after doing them a favor.

How can you use it?

Ask for advice.

Approach successful business owners and politely ask them how they became successful.

Of course, you’ll want to offer some context to the discussion (why you’re asking). And having a little bit of familiarity with the person is also suggested.

Granted, this approach may have limited success when contacting people in the towing industry (competitors).

But, if you talk with those in adjacent industries, such as auto repair shops, dealerships, body shops, and any other business really, many will gladly open up.

Do you see how this might help your business?

Not only will you learn valuable insights into how these people grew their businesses, but once they’ve done you the favor of providing advice, they’ll have a more favorable opinion of you.

Simply put, they’ll like you more. And, since people do business with those who they know, like, and trust, there’s a good chance they’ll use your services.

thetowacademy.com

Don Archer