You have a big life moment coming up. A speech. An interview. A date. A trip to Burger King.
So picture this…
You’re in your car, and a song comes on the radio, or on one of your playlists. It’s a song that intuitively gets you moving, gets you singing, and gets you dancing in your seat. Maybe it makes you drive a bit faster. Maybe it makes the sun shine a little brighter in your eyes.
Whatever impact it has – this song is your jam.
You just feel a little better about life in that moment the song is playing. There’s something in that song that speaks to your soul.
For some people, it’s an upbeat metal song like Def Leppard’s, “Animal”.
For others, it’s a Donna Summer song from the 70s that gets you moving like, “Heaven Knows”.
Then for others, it’s an inspirational song like Aerosmith’s, “Amazing”.
And still, for others, it’s a song like the Teddy Pendergrass classic, “Turn off the lights”, that gets you in the mood for…other activities.
This simple formula will never fail you:
Passion + Your Song = Being ready for your moment.
The first question I have for you is…
….what does your song make you feel like doing in that moment you’re listening to it?
Does it make you want to climb a mountain? Run a marathon? Dance the night away? Write the novel you’ve been talking about for 10 years?
Cars don’t go from 0-100 in the blink of an eye. Airplanes need to gain speed on the runway before they can take off. So why do we think we’re any different?
We all need some warming up. Something to get us in the performing frame of mind, and to ensure our body movements align with that mindset.
So before you step into your your big moment, ask yourself – what song captures the emotion you’re trying to convey? What song gets you in the right frame of mind? What song makes you feel indestructible and brings out the best in you?
This won’t come as a shock to you, but my song is “What now my love”, sung as a duet by Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra. It starts out softly and methodically, and gradually, slowly, and intentionally scales up as it goes on. Eventually, it becomes a powerful, full-on spectacle with an orchestra belting out notes as they work off each other.
It’s the essence of showmanship. Of peak performance. Of two people wielding their talents with their greatest passion and intensity. And makes me feel like I can bring down any house, anywhere, any time.
So…what’s your song?
Play it, then feel it. Then try it again. Make sure that song speaks directly to the thing you’re most passionate about.
And this simple formula will never fail you:
Passion + Your Song = Being ready for your moment.
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This is an excerpt from Geoff Woliner’s new book, “Get Bitter to Get Better: How to reclaim your confidence, prove your villains wrong and win the big moments in life.”
Geoff Woliner is an event speaker, author, speechwriter and presentation coach who helps you turn your big moments into lifelong memories.
As the founder and CEO of Winning Wit, LLC, Geoff and his team of award-winning comedians help people deliver dynamic speeches and presentations through the application of stand-up comedy techniques, and have been featured on WTOP Radio and in several event publications as the leaders in humorous event speechwriting and coaching.
Twitter: @WinningWit
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WinningWit