I was in San Francisco. A scrappy underdog performing on the streets. Suddenly, I found myself starring in my own theater show with rave reviews and the respect of the performers I idolized. My face was on a billboard. My name was in a theme song. After my show, I would taxi across town to headline in another show.
I was still the underdog. I was still the young performer who had a long way to go. I didn’t know where I had to go. I didn’t see this identity fading away, but a little bit… I noticed I needed a little more ambition. So, the move to Los Angeles – the entertainment capital of the world. I would surely be surrounded by great stage entertainers.
I immediately performed in a show with Emmy winning celebrity comedians. Entered a one-man-show competition. The competition was scored by the audiences. I had no friends in LA and the audience was just friends of perfomers. Somehow I tied for first by other peoples’ friends voting!
I got bummed out. I lost my identity. I know in retrospect, this might look goofy – i felt I was at the top. I lost my underdog identity.
I started working on creating a show about propaganda. Creatively got a job at a marketing company to study marketing and propaganda. My disappointment with my success in performing made me consider sticking with the marketing job ”til retirement.
The World Busker Festival called. It was the biggest street performer festival in the world and they didn’t really call anyone. I was invited to perform. I was Eeyore about it and I went. So ungrateful. Christchurch, New Zealand was a paradise especially for a street performer. People were giving me dinner, taking me a bee farm, giving me clothes, cheering, paying me. The performers were incredible. Beyond what i thought was possible.
I quit my marketing job before I got on the plane home.
Two things happened at that time of transformation.
- I realized the bar is always higher
- I remembered being the underdog was never the point of being an entertainer. I wanted to raise the bar for everyone else
These are the lessons I keep learning. I keep humbling myself and taking on the resposibility to be better than everyone. Do more than anything that’s being done. It enlivens me.
Take action: Think of one hero you’ve surpassed. Breath that in. Set that as your identity.