#49: Find Ordinary People doing Extraordinary Things

Early in my journey, thought lots on how to be (or around) celebrity. That’s what watching Yo! MTV Raps and ESPN did to me as a kid. I thought that was the path to happiness. That’s what TV does to you, ram ideas down your throat and into your mind. Books helped me fix all that starting at age 21.

(note: I cannot beat the self-education drum enough. Read).

Classic right? Get close to the famous:

• The athlete
• The billionaire 
• The Tech Founder
• The TV Personality

Proximity to fame doesn’t move the needle. It feeds ego when what you're trying to do is design life.

Where Real Life Momentum Live

Things shifted in my 20s when I started paying attention to ordinary people doing extraordinary things (a TLO principle) around me, especially through LinkedIn.

Not celebrities. Not influencers. Normal people living with personal clarity. So I got intentional and built relationships with them:

• Real estate investors quietly building cash flow to leave jobs and live life on their own terms

• College friend who started acting on TV sitcoms and movies
  

• People living between the U.S. and the Middle East, just like me, blending culture, freedom, and family with intention

• Police officers and federal agents who led with purpose and discipline long before social media ever praised it

• Financially free people who aren’t scaling bigger, they’re scaling back to enjoy more life (my number #1 priority)

• Olympic swimmers who’ve now helped motivate my son to become his own version

• Of late, a professional wake surfer who's taken me on as a student -- Maryland, Tennessee and Turks & Caicos locations so far. Switzerland is next through him.

This is why one of the five freedoms I teach — freedom to build meaningful relationships — is a non-negotiable pillar in both my coaching and personal life. Freedom is not possible without learning the ability to connect meaningfully with others, especially those who've done what you want to do and those who challenge the life you're choosing to live.

(note: I hope I am one of these people for you. Have you ever thought about simply emailing me or sending me a WhatsApp? [email protected] or +1.202.569.2930).

Relationships Are Stronger Currency Than Money

Too many professionals, for example, only invest in relationships inside the workplace. Office life becomes social life:

• Every happy hour

• Every employee group

• Every weekend BBQ at the boss’s house

And their world slowly shrinks to the information and energy inside those four walls. That’s the trap because one day:

• The job ends

• The company restructures

• Or age finally catches up

And if you’ve built no relationships outside that structure, you fall off a cliff. Seen it more times than I can count.

Get Outside Your Norm

What’s often missed is this:

The biggest opportunities — business, creative, personal — often come from connections built outside your norm.

That’s been true across my life.

Yes, I was an executive for an information technology company for 25 years. But was also in law enforcement, military, real estate deals, entrepreneurship, etc… Even creative work like acting and the Try Life On movement, itself.

And the through-line? 

Building meaningful relationships with “ORDINARY” people doing “EXTRAORDINARY THINGS”.

Not from the office. From intentional connection.

None of these people I connected with (or that remain in my circle) are chasing fame. They’re relevant to the life I wanted to build and to the person I wanted (still want) to be.

That’s the difference.

WIFT — What’s In It For Them

This part is key. Every relationship is an exchange.

Not “What can I get?” But “What can I offer?”

Even when you think you have nothing to offer, you do (stop with this excuse)

• Energy — Show up with curiosity, presence, desire to help

• Insight — Share tools, shortcuts, frameworks from your years

• Access — Open the door to your journey and network, even when it’s messy

The result?

• Conversations become connections

• Relevance becomes momentum

• The right people keep showing up

WIFT is also a core Try Life On Principle. Read the full list at TryLifeOn.com/principles.

Try Life On Prompt

Pick one person doing the thing you want to do. Not the loudest. The most aligned.

• Send them a short message: curiosity plus value

• Ask one focused question

• Shut up and listen

• Follow up with something meaningful

• Get on a plane and go visit them (shows genuine care)

I’ve done this for 25+ years. It never stops working.

A Thought to Take Away

Ordinary people. Extraordinary impact. Find them.

If you want to Try Life On. Forget chasing fame. Start recognizing who’s already building the life you say you want. Your future tribe is already around you. You just haven’t sent the message yet.

Maurice