I woke up with a cold today. A very runny nose and a foggy brain: two things you do not want to confront on a day when you’re scheduled to do two interviews, one for a blog, the other for a podcast. I thought about cancelling, but I knew my hosts had deadlines, and after a career spent in the arts, I’ve embraced the belief that “the show must go on.” I warned each of my hosts I wasn’t at my sharpest and told them to feel free to edit out any comments that made no sense.
After the podcast interview, my host said, “That was fantastic! You gave such great answers. You’re always spot on.” I told him, “Well, I’m glad your listeners couldn’t see that I was literally pressing on my temples in an effort to keep my mind focused.”
No matter how well we prepare or plan or anticipate, some days we’re just not going to be at our best. And that’s okay if we embrace that what we know, what we believe, what we are good at, resides so deep in us that not even sickness or doubt or fatigue can unhinge it completely. In fact, like anything else that shakes up our norm, sometimes things not going well can force us to focus in ways we might not have otherwise.
While both my hosts praised my performances today, and I felt things went pretty well, when it’s time to read that published blog post or listen to the podcast, I wonder what I’ll think, because to be honest, I’m not even sure what I said (darn these cold meds). But that’s where faith comes in. Faith that I believe in my book and message so much I could talk about them in my sleep. Faith that if you long to make a heartfelt connection with readers and listeners you will, no matter what. Faith that my expertise is solid and my advice is hard-won.
It took me a long time to arrive at a place where I could trust myself even in situations that were not ideal. It took a long time to realize we don’t need to be perfect; we just need to be real! Am I making sense, or is this just the cold meds talking? I trust you to decide.
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