There are very few times I’m willing to take a “shot”, and then there are those times when I love to “take a shot”. Yes, there’s Fireball. At one time there were Kamikaze’s, limoncello, and pickle shots. But there is no shot in this world I love to take than the shot.
I’m talking about taking risks that you really enjoy and bring great pleasure. Just like that little glass of Fireball, so is every chance you take when you put yourself out on a limb. This past year proved my ability to take a shot. I changed jobs from corporate America, and jumped back to the advertising agency world. Some days it can be trying, and other days, tedious. But most days it brings extreme self-gratification.
Can you honestly say that work brings you self-gratification? For the first time in my life I’m surrounded by people like me. We’re people pleasers, honestly we want everyone to like us. Should something go wrong, we fix it. Should someone be unhappy, we try everything in our arsenal to make them happy.
But it was this past week that delivered great satisfaction. I could see it in everyone’s faces. As though they had all taken that proverbial shot, their faces went from absolute fear to complete pleasure. This was the week each of us had to stand up in front of all our peers, present the status of each of our clients, answer key questions from the management team, breathe a sigh of relief, then finally sit down and support the next victim.
I watched as each of us faced that 15 minutes of fear. Climbing out on that limb. Waiting for your turn, running over your notes, your thoughts, and hardly listening to those before you.
In my case, I love to talk in front of a group of people. Especially my peers. It’s far more relaxing for me to stand up in front of people than it is to chit-chat with a group of playground mommies gossiping after school. Seriously.
No nervous stomach. No butterflies. Just excitement. When it was my turn to “take my shot” and it felt good. First and foremost, I was myself. A little silly, a little off-color, extremely direct, and most of all, quick.
When it’s your turn to take your shot, be yourself. No one else can please you more, than you.