Flynn Pat - Let Go

Let Go

by Pat Flynn

Published by Flynnspired Productions

Table of Contents

Special Bonus Content

Thank you so much for picking up a copy of my book, Let Go . Sharing my story is such an honor and thrill. To make the story come to life in more than just words, my team and I produced some fun videos and other content. Youll discover this bonus content as you read the book at the end of certain chapters. But if you want to watch the videos now, or if you simply want a handy guide to refer to later, here is a list of the videos with direct links in chapter order. Enjoy, and thank you!

• Dedication: click here to watch.
• November 2005: click here to watch.
• June 2008: click here to watch.
• August 2008: click here to watch.
• October 2008 to January 2009: click here to watch.
• February 2009 to Mid-2009: click here to watch.
• Mid-2009 to Present: click here to watch.
• Advice to My Younger Self: click here to watch.

Unfortunately, these video links will not work on Kindle e-ink devices. It's just how the technology works. If you are reading this book on one of those devices, please type the following URL into a web browser on your computer or other mobile device. You will be able to access all of the special bonus videos on that webpage. Thanks for understanding!

http://patflynn.me/letgo-videos

Dedication

"The best and worst things that happen in life are usually the things that happen unplanned. There are miracles and there are misfortunes. Big breaks and big let downs. We remember those single moments in life like scenes from a movie we didn't expect. But how we react and live life after those moments is what shapes who we become."
Pat Flynn

Personal growth is hard. Its hard because taking risks is uncomfortable.

Such discomfort takes many devious forms: the fear of the unknown, the threat of ridicule, the possibility of disappointment. The thing is, we manufacture this stress ourselves. As Seth Godin says, Anxiety is nothing but repeatedly re-experiencing failure in advance.

To unshackle ourselves from the limitations we allow ourselves to fall victim to, we must embrace a risky idea: letting go.

Like the adult elephant that was raised tied to a small stake and short chain, many of us fail to realize our full potential because we dont let go of outdated beliefs and false realities. For the elephant, the reality is that he can easily break free of the stake and chain. Freedom is within his power. But sadly, hes been conditioned to believe otherwise. At infancy, he was secured to a small stake and chain that, at the time, could restrain him. Despite his natural instincts to break free and pursue his own path, he couldnt. After consistent exposure to this agony, he learned to accept the limitations as a permanent truth. Unfortunately, as he grew into a mighty adult, he never challenged what he had learned out of the belief that the effort would be futile, even painful.

Many of us suffer a similar experience. If we are to avoid a similar fate, we must first unlearn much of what conventional wisdom has taught us. Then, we are free to seize our potential.

I know how hard this path can be. I also know how rewarding it is. I came face to face with the risky idea of letting go in 2008. It was a scary time for my fianc and me. But by believing and investing in myself, I was able to build the life of my dreams. Let Go is a short chronicle of this journey. I hope you enjoy it. And more importantly, I hope you use it as a small force to break free and pursue your own path.

BONUS CONTENT

Follow my Let Go story and those of others on Twitter by using the #LetGoBook hashtag. Click here to join the conversations that have already started. Also, I created a special dedication video to accompany this chapter. Please click here to watch the video in your browser.

November 2005

"Luck is being in the right place at the right time, but location and timing are to some extent under our control.
Natasha Josefowitz

Pete had asked everyone around the table, and then it was my turn.

"And how about you Pat; what are you majoring in?"

Architecture, I replied.

Oh really? What kind of architecture do you want to get into? Commercial? Residential?

Actually, I was thinking about getting into restaurant design.

Pete nodded his head slowly on a tilt, Interesting

Pete Osborne was the owner of the very restaurant we were all having dinner in that evening: Momos, located right outside of SBC Park (now known as AT&T Park) in San Francisco. Being a University of California Berkeley alum and a former sousaphone player in the marching band, he liked to invite the executive committee of the band to his restaurant each year to meet the new faces and stay in touch.

Pete looked at me with a smile that ran from ear to ear.

Ill tell you what Pat; Im going to give my buddy John McNulty a call for you tomorrow. Hes a principal at MBH Architects in Alameda and a fellow Cal alum. He helped design Momos in fact. Ill tell him to give you a call.

I immediately found out how difficult it is to say thank you when your mouth is wide open (try it), but something auditory must have come out of my voice box because afterwards I heard him say, My pleasure Pat.

Pete glanced back at the kitchen. Please excuse me for a second. They need me back of house for something. Ill be right back.

After Pete exited, my equally wide-eyed companions all leaned in toward the center of the table and discreetly congratulated me. Will, the drum major who was sitting to my left, gave me a congratulatory tap with his fist on my shoulder: about a 4 out of 10 on the hurt scale.

I was stoked about what had just happened, but I didnt want to get too excited about it yet. Yes, I had been looking for a job at an architecture firm for a few months at that point, to no avail. Thats precisely why I wasnt expecting anything. I wasnt even attending this event to look for a job; I was there to represent the band and enjoy an amazing dinner that was not from the dining commons.

Plus, people make promises all the time, but only a percentage of them actually follow through. So I told myself, "If I get a call, great. If not, I wouldn't get too upset."

About a 4 out of 10 on the hurt scale.

My skepticism aside, the rest of the evening was amazing. Many more stories were told and laughs had when Pete came back to the table. I ended up having such a great time that I totally forgot about Pete's offer.

Dinner never tasted so good.

* * *

The next day at around 3:00 in the afternoon, I received a call from John McNulty, principal at MBH Architects. The day after that, I went in for an interview and was hired on the spot as an entry-level drafter in the restaurant division of the firm.

Mind blown.

Everything was finally paying off: all of the studying, the homework, the good grades, and excessive extracurriculars on my record that were there just to impress admissions.

Its incredible how things work out sometimes, especially when you least expect them. Sure, I was at the right place at the right time, but every decision I made before that callfrom choosing to go to Cal to joining the marching band to running for Student Director and even going to dinner that nightwas a decision I made on my own that put me in front of those opportunities.

It wasnt luck; it was reward.

And so the path continued.

BONUS CONTENT

I returned to Momo's to relive the memories of that amazing day. To share in my trip down memory-lane, click here to watch this special video extra.

February 2006 to March 2006

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