Be interested instead of trying to be interesting

My mentor John Gardner told me years ago three things. First, he told me to spend less time trying to be interesting and more time being interested in people and the world. Think about that. He also told me do not worry about what other people think of you because the truth is most people are too busy focused on themselves to think about you. Lastly, realize that there’s a whole series of great opportunities out there brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.