Would you like fries with that?

A principle isn’t a principle unless it costs you something

A wise person offered this advice to Sim years ago just before we set up Incognito Artists.

I remembered that again this week when someone asked me to fly to NZ, business class, to perform at their New Years’ Eve soiree in their luxurious villa overlooking the sea.

And I said, ‘no’.

That hurt:  ‘no’ to my homeland, extended family, business class flights, luxurious villa overlooking the sea.

But I’m already booked to sing in Dubai on New Years’ Eve at a private party for a loyal client.

One of our values at Incognito is ‘Honesty & Integrity’ which means telling the truth of course, but also being our word.  Hence my ‘unfortunately not this time’ to this new potential client, and my truthful explanation of why not.

It isn’t a principle or a value unless it costs you something.  This value of ‘being my word’ cost me a trip home during a particularly good time of year to visit NZ, and also during a time when I have a strong personal desire to be in NZ due to some family stuff going on.

Or another example is, if McDonald’s rang and asked us to do a gig.  Business wise the money would be great!  But I believe that McDonald’s is not actually food and isn’t fit for human consumption, unless they change their ways – another thing Jamie Oliver is campaigning for, and rightfully so, in my books.   So it would cost me financially to turn them down but I can’t be a hypocrite and promote healthy eating and wellbeing, thanks to my years of experience with my daughter’s health journey, AND accept gigs from McDonald’s!

So.  A principle isn’t a principle unless it costs you something (thank you, to whoever said that originally).  Ouch.

Someone else said to me recently, ‘people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it’.  I’m all over that one, I think it’s completely transparent that I LOVE what I do!

Bring on the festive Christmas / Holidays fun times!

Geoff