Years ago when I was in theater school there was a kid I admired a couple years above me. He had a great work ethic and was a fully committed student and actor. On more than one occasion I'd ask him for advice about a project I was working on and how to best navigate through the challenges of school.
A few weeks into his final year he was the lead in his class's thesis project. I couldn't believe the production value and the extraordinary work he'd put into his character. As a result, my heart sank when I sat in that virtually empty theater. It seemed no one had gotten the memo on great the play was.
I asked him afterwards how he coped with putting so much effort into something only to see an empty house.
"You just have to bring it like it's packed," he said without hesitation. "You always do your best."
This advice would serve me as I got older. Like many people, I found myself getting hung up on numbers. How many people came to a play, the number of people who watched a particular program I might have been on, and on and on. For some reason, I thought quantity meant value.
The truth is you have to dig deep within and trust that YOUR belief in your message will be enough. If there are hundreds, thousands, possibly even millions who end up reading your message and being influenced that's an amazing byproduct, but not the end goal.
Focus on giving value first. And no matter the audience, take a note from the Ancient Greeks who believed their words held up the pillars of the universe when they were on stage. If they did not speak with enough vigor, conviction, and passion the foundation would fall and the universe would collapse.
No matter where you are remember to bring it.
No comments:
Post a Comment