Be mindful that your safety net doesn’t turn into a hammock, lulling you into complacency. –Bily Joel
A few years ago, I had the great honor of performing as the emcee for the DC-area Hispanic Contractors Association Auction and Gala. It was a star-studded affair held on a typically muggy summer evening under the lights at Audi Field. The program featured all facets of the local construction community as well as national and local politicians and stars. This was a crowd that knew how to support a good cause, and knew how to have a good time!
For the auction portion of the evening, I had a script prepared with a description of all the items and the general range we were expecting to collect. Piece of cake! I had done this many times before and it was a fairly straightforward formula. Stick to the script. Don’t get too high or too low. Take what the audience gives you. But as I walked up to the stage, I noticed my script was not on the podium. The horror! The lights were turned up. The audience was waiting. And the first item was up on the big screen. There was no turning back now.
An eery silence washed across the thick air and I could hear my heartbeat in my eardrums I could also feel the sweat pouring through my suit. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. DO SOMETHING!
I immediately shot into a passionate description of the first item, making it up as I went along. I pranced around the stage. I pointed and cajoled the audience. And I let the uncomfortable silence hang in the air like a slow divorce as I waited for a higher bidder. My hair was soaked. My tie was off. And I was completely transformed. It was an out-of-body experience I will never forget.
But a funny thing happened. The audience responded positively. I gained more confidence. And the bids shot through the roof as the items escalated in value. It was an electric atmosphere as they finally announced the total amount of money raised. At the end of the evening, I found my script (Left it in the bathroom! Doh!), checked out the ranges, and we had blown away the projected numbers.
Working without the comfort and security of my script was a terrifying experience. But it ultimately allowed us to reach new heights of success. And the same is true in our work and personal lives.
We Need to Take Control
In our work lives, there are opportunities all around us. Promotions. Massive accounts. Life-changing relationships. New roles. But too often these seem out of reach as we rely on our built-in systems and internal narrative. We are wired for the glacial pace of change in our careers. Anything else feels scary and reckless. But what if we threw away the conservative script? What if we set our sights big and bold? We never know how much we can accomplish unless we occasionally cut down our safety nets and embrace a new paradigm.
It starts with jettisoning the familiar talk track inside our heads. I’m not ready for that level of responsibility. I’m too inexperienced to handle that job. I don’t know anything about that field. It’s too late to start over in a new line of work. Once we get by these barriers, why not us? Who are we to hold back our own careers? Who are we to stifle change? Why can’t we write a whole new future?
And the same is true in our personal lives. The safety nets are there for protection but they can also extinguish our self-development. Maybe we should risk rejection and tell someone how we truly feel. Maybe we should ditch the security blanket and have a truly uncomfortable but honest conversation. Maybe we should follow our heart and pursue a hobby or passion that others may find whimsical. We need to take control of our lives. And sometimes that means stepping out onto the stage without a script!
Resilience is Born in Failure
But what happens when we take a risk and fail in spectacular fashion? We get the promotion but struggle to connect with our team. We take on a new task but fail to execute on it. We follow our passion but have no talent to perform the tasks. We express our true love and receive nothing in return. Just because we take a risk or break away from our comfort zone, does not guarantee us success. Risk doesn’t always end in glory. Just ask The Great Wallendas how fun it is to perform without a safety net.
But there is a time and place to take a calculated risk. We need to break the bonds of familiarity and complacency. It is how we grow. It is how we achieve success we never thought possible. And ultimately, even if we fail, it is how we come back stronger with resilience.
Every now and then, we can’t be afraid to cut down those safety nets and fly.