Guy Reams (00:01.182)
Day 146. The Power Behind Attention. One of the most useful principles I've discovered in business and in life is this. What gets your attention most likely gets other people's attention. It's a simple concept, but one that holds tremendous power. No matter how wealthy, influential, or important a person is, they are still human.
They respond to the same basic stimuli, emotions, and interests as the rest of us. This means that if you want someone to notice you, your work, or your ideas, you don't need to overcomplicate the process. You don't need to guess at some mysterious formula for influence. Instead, just look at yourself first. The mirror of interest. Ask yourself, what grabs my attention? What causes me to pause, to engage, or take care?
When you understand what naturally compels you, you have a starting point for understanding what will compel others. If a certain message, image, or experience sparks your interest, chances are it will spark interest in others as well. This applies across all areas of life. If you're in sales, think about what would convince you to listen to a pitch. If you're trying to build a network, consider what makes you want to connect with somebody.
If you want to create something that people love, ask yourself what you genuinely love. When you approach influence from this perspective, you are no longer operating in the dark. Instead, you are aligning yourself with human nature, which is far more reliable guide than just guesswork. You can test this rule. Try this principle in a small way even today. Observe what grabs your attention tonight. Whether it's a well-crafted email,
a compelling story, an intriguing idea, flashy bright lights, then think about how you can apply that same pattern to something that you want others to notice. You'll find that more often than not, what captures your attention will capture other people's attention as well. This is not manipulation, it's just simple understanding. It's about recognizing that attention is a shared human experience.
Guy Reams (02:17.506)
And when you learn to align with that experience, you'll find success comes far more naturally to you.