As a keynote speaker at conferences it’s my job to inspire and encourage people to be all they can be and achieve success in their lives. I’ve spoken to diverse groups ranging from 25 year old office admins to 60 year old entrepreneurs and I discovered a common denominator about change that impacts everyone. It’s a powerful, grossly underestimated tool we can all use to achieve goals, realize dreams, be more productive on the job and create a pleasant work environment. (Translation: Cha ching!) Curious? Read on…
Twenty odd years ago as a professional entertainer from Australia, I was playing the piano at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. (Don’t be too impressed – it wasn’t like being on American Idol!) Life was good. My picture was in the local newspaper every week and I was almost a Diva in my own mind lol. It was that big fish in a small pond thing working for me….however the pond was getting smaller and starting to smell a tad fishy. I wanted to go to America but there was one major problem: I didn’t think I was a good enough musician. I lacked the self confidence to even attempt to take the next step. (Sound familiar?)
The most popular song in Singapore at that time was “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” by Andrew Lloyd Webber from his Broadway musical “Evita”. One night after I played that song the entire room of 150 people burst out into thunderous applause. This was totally unexpected since I hadn’t paid any attention to what I was doing. I was glowing with the instant gratification this brings and determined to maintain the excitement of the moment by playing an audience participation song with everyone clapping along. They did. Woo Hoo! Big fun! Suddenly a man came up to me at the piano and rambled on about how well I had played “Argentina”blah, blah, blah. I was ticked. How could this dufus have such bad timing? Couldn’t he see I was busy being a Diva? In no uncertain Aussie terms I told him to buzz off. He then apologized and introduced himself as… Andrew Lloyd Webber. No kidding. He was the real thing.
Have you ever wanted to take back your words and be instantly kidnapped by aliens?
Do you realize what a tremendous impact words have on our lives? Words are seeds for change. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s few words of praise changed my thinking. They instilled belief in myself and helped realize my dream of coming to this great country. Change your mind, change your life! Words are a powerful tool that can be used creatively or destructively. What are yours doing? Maybe the changes your company is going through are a golden opportunity for you to get a grip on that dream job. Who can you talk to that will support you?
If you’re the boss reading this - think about giving an employee a huge boost with a compliment on her work efforts. Then give yourself a pat on the back ‘coz you just gave your company a huge boost in productivity. People work harder for people they like. Got it?
Oh, by the way, please don’t send this to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s publicist.
