TEL 236: S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On) with Paul McGee

A summary of things you should know about S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On) according to Paul McGee

Introduction (00:34)

I’m known as a motivator, my background is in social psychology and the way people think, act, and behave has fascinated me for years. I would describe myself as the reluctant entrepreneur of the accidental entrepreneur. I actually lost my job many years ago due to ill health and wasn’t able to work for three years. When I felt well enough to get back in the workplace no one would actually hire me because I couldn’t pass a medical. So what I did 24 years ago was I hired myself and I’ve been writing books and speaking to all kinds of audiences every since.

The Book’s Unique Quality (04:32)

I think one of the things is that I don’t take myself too seriously. I cut to the chase and I use 5 words instead of 50. People can grasp these ideas quickly and use them immediately.

The Best Way To Engage (05:25

I have these SUMO principles and the reader could dip into any of these principles that they need or they could read it front to back.

The Reader’s Takeaway (17:25)

Take responsibility and move on.

A Deep Dive Into The Book (06:22)

I’m going to use the metaphor the SUMO house, the foundation of the house is E+R=O. This formula is helping the reader to understand that events (E) happens to all of us but it’s how we respond (R) to those events that’s going to influence our outcome (O). I think in life we all face challenges and we face set backs and disappointments, sometimes we experience successes, but even so it is never just the event it’s the way we respond that influences the outcome. So the whole essence of SUMO is two people, two businesses, two communities, two families can have the same event but they can end up with a different outcome. Why? Because of the R factor – how we respond.

Then I take you on a tour of the SUMO house and one of the main rooms in the house is called “Change Your T-Shirt.” This is all about imagining that what you believe about yourself was in a word or a phrase and on your t-shirt, what would your message be?

A second principle is developing “fruity thinking” and what I’m talking about is we talk about fruit being good for the body and I want to talk about fruit being good for the mind. And it’s all based upon this question, “Besides God, if you believe in God, who is the most important person you are ever going to talk to?” And the answer yourself. In this whole principle I really unpack and explore the detail in the crucial conversations we have with ourselves everyday inside our own minds and how sometimes this thinking isn’t fruity it’s faulty. And that is not a winning way of thinking for any successful entrepreneur. So I reveal what those four types of faulty thinking are and then I give the reader some strategies of how they can shut up some of those faulty thinkings and move on to some fruity thinking. To feel mad, bad, or sad, it’s legitimate and it’s ok for us to experience those feelings. I give the reader permission to recognize that sometimes we are going to have a tough time but the other point to make clear is that “this too will pass.” It’s a season, not a life sentence. Hippo time is ok but it’s temporary.

A third principle is that hippo time is ok. What are hippos doing most of the time? They wallow. And one of the things I want to suggest to my reader is this, sometimes when we get a setback we can’t just immediately shut up and move on, we need some hippo time- we need to have a wallow. This is a really crucial point, it’s ok to not always feel ok.

The fourth principle is called “Remember the Beach Ball.” I want you to imagine that there is a big beach ball and you and I are sat opposite of each other with this beach ball in the middle of us. This beach ball has six colors but from where I’m sitting I can only see three- blue, white, and green, but from where you are sitting you are seeing three other colors- red, yellow, and orange. So we are looking at the same thing, the same object, but we are seeing things completely differently. Very often people think that if they are seeing something one way and you or my customer, colleague, my child are seeing things completely the opposite then we can’t both be right, one of us has to be wrong and guess what, it’s not me. I’m saying shut up thinking that your perspective on this beach ball is the only one there is and move on to see where other people are coming from.

NOTE: That was just a summary. To get the full deep dive, play the audio clip at 06:22

Notable Quotes From The Book

“Seeking support is not a sign of weakness it’s a sign of wisdom” – Paul McGee

The Credibility/Inspiration Of The Author (03:14)

There are two reasons, one of those is that I needed to build my profile. I kind of fit into that space of a motivational speaker, I think I’m more than that , but that’s what people know me as. I haven’t climbed Everest, I haven’t lost my limbs in a mining accident, and I haven’t won the Olympic Games, so what do I do? Well writing a book that was sticky, provocative, memorable, and also helpful for people, would be a great way to raise my profile and establish credibility.

Secondly, and equally important, I was doing 7 hours on this material and people were coming back to me and saying they loved my SUMO stuff. That just gave me the feedback and the encouragement that I needed to press on with the idea.

Other Books Recommended By The Author (19:46)

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath

More Information About This Book and The Author

Buy on Amazon today
Visit www.thesumoguy.com to learn more about Paul and his book
Follow Paul on Twitter @thesumoguy

More Information About This Episode

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Wade Danielson

Wade is a 4-time serial entrepreneur and is the Founder/Host of The Entrepreneurs Library. With a long time passion for reading books, Wade created an online resource and podcast for entrepreneurs who love to read personal and business development books. His long-term goal in life is to start an entrepreneurial home schooling program for children of business-minded families.