
Paging the morning paper, my eyes landed in the middle of the page. Smack dab on what was a picture of Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore and Larry Matthews (the bratty little kid) from a 1965 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Honestly, I grew up watching this show…Ok so now you know how old I am.
Carl Reiner, created, produced and wrote many of these shows, based on his life. My eyes wandered to the title, Nimble at 92, Carl Reiner enjoys being in on the gag.
My eyes are scanning for stories about successful people further down the road from where I am. When I saw 92, curiosity got the best of me.
My plans are to live to 98, so I’m always looking at how people actually get there.
"Carl Reiner wakes up each morning with the same thought: It’s time to start writing.”
Talk about focus…to be 92 and still loving what you do. Do you think at 92 you will still be loving what you do? Are you loving what you do today?
He was able to create a show that was over the top successful.
The story is told that one day he had a personal conversation with himself around his life driving home. He had an ahaaaaaa moment…realizing that when he was at home…he talked about work. When he was at work…he talked about home.“
That’s it. I’m going to write about what I know about---the home life of a writer who works in variety.” Carl Reiner
Obviously a key to his success, could it be a key to yours and mine as well? Do we feel that we need to keep these two aspects of our lives separate? Or maybe the key is to blend this one unique distinct individual?
How freeing to be just one person all the time. Released from the arduous task of trying to be two people.
What's so big about a name?
Gallup’s research indicates that about 15% of people are called by a name they don’t prefer or really like. What other things do we just let slip by, because we think they are unnecessary? Yet each time someone calls Michael, Mike…the hair stands up a bit on the back of his neck.
Allowing people to know that you have a dog, two kids, and a parakeet doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. It really is. It makes you more of a genuine and likeable person. It makes you real…instead of the appearance of being a perfect person. Stuffy!
How many times have your heard people talking and indicate that they didn’t know that Debbie from accounting is an avid fly fisher? Or Jack from IT loves to collect old cars and rebuild them? Or that Joel from billing can’t live without his electric guitar?
Image life with people knowing more about you. Not just the details of how you can do excel spread sheets like Spiderman climbs walls?
Questions for Thought, Do people know…
· What you love to do in your spare time?
· What your favorite place on earth is?
· What your best vacation has been so far in life?
· What you were like as a child?
· What your favorite movie is?
· What you made for dinner last night?
· What your dream job is?What you dream about?
I realize that not all of us are blessed to work in “variety” as Carl Reiner. The organization and place you hang out at 40 plus hours a week is probably not a theater where you are the main entertainer.
What if you were all of a sudden, more of a participant in the act that allows people to see a more personal side of you. Let a bit more of amazing you out in the open for people to enjoy.
This could very well be a great part of what will have you waking up each day knowing exactly what you are going to do. This could be the beginning of what gets you a curtain call and a standing ovation.
Do you find yourself waking up each morning with the same thought of what you will be doing? Greater self-awareness can help...