There comes a time when we need to say, "It's Showtime!" We are all actors in life. William Shakespeare expressed it like this:
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts...
As we head out into the world each day, we are like actors making our entrance onto the stage. While each of our roles are different, we are all on stage performing. Some of us are salesman, others are doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers or a myriad of other professions and occupations. While it is healthy and wise to be in harmony with what we feel and say, the "world" really doesn't care how we feel. All that matters is our performance in the theater of life.
Let's look at an example. When a patient goes in for surgery, he or she really doesn't care if the surgeon had a fight with their spouse, has economic difficulties or has an upset stomach. What's most important is for the surgeon to do their job well! While the doctor's performance will change depending on the circumstances, it's critical to get off the emotional roller coaster of life and perform.
Regardless of what we do, we are all in a similar situation. While our closest friends and family can be of tremendous support when we are facing difficulties, the backdrop of our emotional challenges isn't important to the rest of the world. Imagine the following situation. A client walks into a car dealership and asks the salesperson, "How are you doing?" Imagine the salesperson replying, "My teenager is about to get kicked out of school, they haven't paid my commissions from last month, my landlord is asking for my house and I am depressed." Would we really want such a detailed explanation?
While this is obviously an exaggeration, we frequently demonstrate these same sentiments without ever speaking. Our body language and attitude towards life explains the entire script. It is not necessary to ask someone, "How are you feeling?" Most of the time it's apparent from their behavior and demeanor how they feel. In fact, for those we know best, we know in an instant how they feel.
Like most, I have learned a great deal from my parents. My mother, "The Beautiful Lady," passed in peace on October 18th. As a result of her passing, I have thought a lot about all I have learned from her. While there have been so many different things, the most important is regardless of how we feel, we have to get up and say, "It's Showtime!" With our best foot forward, it's crucial we go out on stage with courage and confidence.
We are all actors in life. We will not always feel great and not everything in life is wonderful and beautiful. It's not realistic to think we will always be energetic and motivated. Nevertheless, those who are able to shake themselves off and go out on stage with an excellent attitude are those who will achieve greatness. Let's be superstars as we go out on stage in a constant effort to give our best performance in this wonderful theater we call life.
Copyright © 2009 Rob McBride. All Rights Reserved
Rob McBride is an author and speaker who motivates, inspires and trains people. His keynotes, seminars and workshops enhance effectiveness and increase corporate productivity with concrete, dynamic tools which enable people to take control of their professional direction and destiny. He writes the Lunar Letter monthly with each full moon. His books include: A Special Gift and Little by Little We Go Far.
