WHY SCOTT DINSMORE IS, WAS AND ALWAYS SHALL BE AWESOME
I’ve never written a eulogy and I don’t intend this piece to be one. Scott Dinsmore, creator of Live Your Legend and a shining light in this murky world lost his life in Africa a few days ago. My deepest condolences go to his wife, Chelsea, his family, friends and all those whose lives he touched.
I had never met him in person but have been a member of his Live Your Legend community for a couple of years and hosted the Live Your Legend Local Meet-Ups in York, England.
This article is pretty link heavy and I make no apologies for it; so much has been written about Scott over the last few days that it would be remiss of me to deprive you of the opportunity to read more about him. It’s worth it.
Without getting too spiritual, we all have a light within us and it is our responsibility to let that light shine. In life, you can be a lamp, a ladder or a lighthouse; Scott was all three combined.
BE PRESENT
“Wherever you are, be all there” - Jim Elliot
Although I had never met Scott, many people had. In the few short days that have passed between the accident and me sitting down to write something about the impact that he had on my life, I have been amazed by the sheer number of people that have written about the effect that Scott had on them.
All these posts are spontaneous and heartfelt. The thing that is immediately apparent is that wherever he was, whomever he met or interacted with, he was all there. His attention was yours.
If you can find the time to read these posts by Leo Babauta, Jonathan Fields, Corbett Barr and Chase Reeves you will see that they all felt the energy that Scott brought with him.
In his video conferences during the run up to the first Live Your Legend Local Meet Ups, there was no script, he was making it up as he went along and was enthusiastic, involved and engaged but also calm and considered.
How did he do it? I don’t know. I do know that he practiced meditation and Yoga. He wrote a little bit about his constant battle with stress here, we all experience it. Occasionally it is helpful. Usually it is not.
KEEP LEARNING
It’s so easy today to puff out our chest and act like we have it all figured out.
Scott Dinsmore
“We only post the best things on Facebook and Twitter, only write blog entries about our crazy experiences, and when we’re out, we try to look our best. Then no one (except maybe those closest to us) gets to see what happens when we get home some nights and lay awake terrified. Only a very few see that we can’t sleep because we don’t know how we’re going to make something work.” — Scott Dinsmore again…
None of us have it all figured out. Please, never believe anybody that tells you that they have. However, every event, happening and experience contains a lesson for each of us.
When you look at what Scott created; the evolution from his first blog, through to the Live Your Legend Website, his courses, personal challenges and the communities that developed around his ideas and work. It is clear that Scott looked for the lesson in everything. The world was his classroom and everyone was a teacher.
Take what works and learn from the rest.
For every event - Sit down and think about the things that did work and the things that did not.
BE CONFIDENT
What is confidence? A belief in “yourself”, your innate ability and your capabilities?
Whatever it is, Scott had it in abundance. Don’t just go for a 10k run, aim higher. Can you do it? Who knows? Do it anyway.
Confidence comes from within you, it is you. The mind set of the child learning to walk is still within each of us. Fall down, get back up and do it again. Here is what Scott had to say when he suffered a minor setback.
TAKE ACTION
“Nothing works, unless you do”
I read a lot. I watch a lot of You Tube videos. I attend seminars and conferences. I soak up information, write notes, create action plans and plot my course.
Then I find a way to distract myself. Call it resistance, procrastination or laziness but I am an expert at finding something else to do.
Scott was different. He took action, did something, anything, but often it was the one thing that kept him moving in the direction of his choosing.
This also permeated through his offering to the world. Every piece asked the question “What are YOU going to do?”. You have the information, now DO SOMETHING!
TEAMWORK
Together Everyone Achieves More
Was Live Your Legend a one man band? Maybe initially but Scott knew the power of teamwork and built several different teams to deliver the individual aspects of his vision.
He had a constant supply of people that wanted to work with him, for him and alongside him.
Why?
I can only speak for the effect he had on me. I wanted to help him, in any way I could.
He communicated his vision very clearly and then allowed others to do whatever they could to make it happen, encouraging them along the way, congratulating them when appropriate and enthusiastically celebrating their success.
He offered guidance when necessary but was also able to proudly say when he didn’t really know the answer, he then allowed everyone to enjoy the process of finding one.
He understood the importance of connection.
CONTRIBUTE
What are you contributing to the world?
Scott knocked this one out of the park! Take a look at his work. There is so much information available on his website that it could stand alone as a faculty of a very prestigious university.
You could take it or leave it. There was never any pushy sales process that is so prevalent on this glorious interweb. He did sell things (and there probably was a process) but it was never pushy. His energy and enthusiasm was perfectly packaged into everything he produced.
Scott understood the one thing that is hidden in plain sight; the elephant in the room.
You get by giving.
This information is written somewhere in every book on self-development that I have ever read. Many of us ignore it because it appears a little wishy-washy.
You don’t have to believe me. Take a look at the wealth of information that is freely available on the Live Your Legend Website. He curated the best practices from many different areas of life - time management, goal setting, accountability, productivity, health, fitness, well-being…..I could go on but it is better if you see for yourself - and then added his own insight and examples of how he walked the talk.
ENJOY
“If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree!”
Can you find a photo of Scott when he was not smiling? I can’t. And it was never a forced “daytime TV” smile. He had fun, more than that, he made fun and enjoyment an integral part of everything that he was involved in.
Was running an ultra-marathon fun? Possibly not, but he enjoyed being a part of it, preparing for it and the feeling he experienced having completed it.
His final instruction for all Live Your Legend Local meetings was to have a dance off. I must confess that I never managed to make this happen in York. My fault, I never asked.
ASK QUESTIONS
Scott continually asked questions.
Sometimes, the best questions have no answer…
BE TRUE
“I believe the world would be an altogether different place if we all did work that actually mattered to us.” Scott Dinsmore
Purpose.
"You can only be you and that is truer than true."….Dr Zuess
Scott asked us, " What is the work that you can’t not do?", he was an American, they use double negatives a lot. However, this one was intentional and important.
Whenever there is a gap between what you want to be doing and what you are actually doing, you experience pain. The nature of that pain is different for each of us but it’s there.
Perhaps our "Purpose" is to close the gap, however we can?
BE GRATEFUL
Gratitude.
What do you have to be thankful for?
There are plenty of things, I am sure. Here is a little example of what Scott thought about it.
Back at the top of this I referred to a light that is inside all of us. Scott’s light has not been extinguished. It has shattered into a million tiny pieces and a part of it is now with you. Pick it up and use it to start your fire!
I very rarely use exclamation marks but I just did. Your turn.
Thank you Scott, for everything you brought to this world. See you later.
“Be honestly and un-apologetically you. Because you being uniquely you will allow the people you interact with to feel comfortable being uniquely them — perhaps for the first time in their lives. There is no more authentic way to connect and no greater gift to give.”
– Scott Dinsmore
