“I have no idea how you do that.”
“Yeah, it’s a great trick, isn’t it?”
“No, not the trick… how do you just go up to a random bunch of blokes you don’t know, interrupt them and get them laughing in just a few seconds? How do you do THAT?”
Sometimes it’s easy to take yourself for granted and forget how bloody awesome you are (and you ARE bloody awesome).
If you ever find yourself forgetting what a fabulous human being you are, here’s a useful exercise – write out a job description for yourself.
Not an official description. Nah, that’s dull.
No, I want you to put down what you REALLY do to earn your money.
For example, as a magician, I have to attend events where I’m the only person who doesn’t know anybody else in the room.
I’m a (handsomely paid) Billy No Mates.
Not only that, but I have to spend my whole evening interrupting every single one of these strangers, trying to convince them that I’m worth watching for five minutes before saying “cheerio” and heading to the next table to do it all again.
I have to tailor my performances to the complexities of each group – also contending with the drunk, the rude and the downright aggressive – all done while smiling politely and trying to dodge those bloody annoying whistling balloons.
I have to be able to instantly push to one side whatever is going on in my personal life because someone has paid me to be Mister Funny.
When put like that, it seems more significant than, “I do card tricks for drunk people”.
Most people would kill to have a skill like mine, but, until I had the conversation with a client that opened this email, I didn’t realise it.
I’ll bet the contents of my right pocket (38p, an old English Penny and a garden centre receipt) that it’s the same for you and your job.
No matter what you do for a living, there’s someone who’s looking at you, saying, “I have no idea how she/he does that. It’s amazing!”
You’re bloody awesome at what you do and maybe it’s no bad thing to remind yourself why every once in a while.