The other day I was watching a young singer on a variety show on French TV, a rising star, performing the most difficult song in his idol’s repertoire, in front of said idol. We saw him rehearse, witnessed backstage conversations about how anxious and excited he was, and eventually watched him perform. He hit the difficult high note perfectly, and had tears in his eyes.
I wondered about the tears and imagined they were there because he had done this difficult thing, which he didn’t have to do, and succeeded. He didn’t have to perform. He didn’t have to pick the most challenging song. He chose to. And I imagine that he chose to because he wanted more for himself.
This reminds me of why I am choosing to give a TEDx talk on 8/24: because I want more for myself. It’s scary. I have the first twenty seconds to grab my audience’s attention, the next forty seconds to keep it. In ten minutes I have to move them, inspire them, entertain them, and offer them a completely different view of something. I have to memorize my script yet deliver it in the most natural way. It’s filmed. It’s a one shot deal. I’m travelling several thousand miles for this, picking out the perfect outfit. Ten minutes. No pressure.
I will pull it off, and probably do a good job because I’m conscientious. I’m putting myself through the stress, and excitement, of it all because I want more for myself. I want to grow, learn new skills, overcome fear, not keep myself small, and find that what I thought were limitations are not.
And this is what I love about my clients: they too want more for themselves. That’s why they come to see a clinical sexologist. I am moved and inspired every time I witness their struggles, their growth and their successes.
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