Last week I took my 10-year-old daughter to the “Hannah Montana” concert in Denver. If you have not heard of this teen-pop sensation, then you obviously don’t have a child between the ages of 5 to 13 in your life. This 15-year-old girl sold-out Pepsi Center, and continues to pack the house with screaming and adoring children (with their reluctant parents wearing ear plugs) in every city of her North America tour!
Halfway through the concert, Hannah Montana (who, by the way, is a TV character created by Disney) leaves the stage to take off her blonde wig and glittery costume. Within minutes, she’s back on stage as the real person behind the persona, Miley Cyrus. Miley’s connection with the audience was palpable, and although my daughter was there originally to see the character Hannah Montana, she ended up liking the real person behind the mask better.
There must have been some major negotiations behind the scenes to convince Disney to allow their cash cow to abandon her money making persona and let her “real” self shine. I have heard that her parents are very involved with managing her career, and it shows.
When Miley came back out for her encore performance she was wearing the cardigan sweater of her beloved grandfather, who had recently passed away. She sat on a stool at the end of the stage and told her very impressionable audience that the most important thing in life is family: Yes, this is the kind of idol I want my daughter looking up to!
In honor of Halloween this week, think about how you too can lose the mask – or persona – you might be hiding behind to better connect with your network. Where in your business or personal life do you need to get real? Now is the time to take a risk and step out in faith!
Perfecting Connecting® Action Steps:
1. With risk comes reward. Think about something you’ve always wanted to do but were afraid to step out in faith and try. Make a list of “baby steps” you can take to move forward and commit to reaching out to your network to help you make this dream a reality.
2.Just say “YES!” Start saying yes each time you hear a “no” or “I can’t” enter your mind. Believe me, it’s a powerful mind shift that can change your whole outlook. As the author Meg Wheatley says, sometimes you just have to step into the energy of “Yes!”
3.Insist upon yourself. Be original… anyone else would be boring! What are your unique talents and skills that could be helpful to your network?
Now that Halloween is over, lose the mask!
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