Have you ever stopped to consider your life as a commercial or an ad? Your best times to date are the ones we stop and stare at in the glossy magazines or the Super Bowl commercial that everyone talks about the next day, at a higher frequency than the games highlights? Did you ever stop to also consider that before the version of your favourite commercial or print ad that you see, how many edits, re-do's, rejections and pulled submissions occurred? That is our life in flashing lights, bold and perfect Pantones.
It's perhaps in the perfecting of our pitch designed to represent our dream, our goals and whatever the message we are passionate about conveying that we at times lose our way. If life gave you everything you dreamed of when you wanted it and everything you're working towards prematurely, would you be ready for it and would your message have the same 'punch' that the fine-tuned seasoned version would have? And that is the difference between a pitch in season in perfect time versus a desire released before given fair chance to be nurtured into its mature state.
The universe, I'm convinced, is often if not always directing us to what is ours. Whether that is a lesson, a dream, a goal, a blessing or simply what is in that chapter for that time. So often we're so consumed by how our life-story should look and read that when it goes any other way but that way we completely fall apart, losing sight of our now and of any opportunities that present themselves soon thereafter.
One of the many things I love about working in the arena of 'pitching' is that there is little to no time allotted for excessive reliving what didn't go as planned. It keeps you in forward motion, always. Taking any lessons with you while fitting pieces of the puzzle in. Making that next call, being open to that next idea while in constant connection with people who need something from you or are responding to a previous request of your own. This 'world', just like life in general does not stop for a moment of silence because you want time to rehash each scenario and demand answers before moving forward. Other truths I have learned:
- Opportunities are constantly being presented to us, but countless are missed because we're so pre-occupied with the ones that didn't go our way. One door not opening often means that there's another already open waiting for you to look to where the sun is peaking in.
- It's not personal. Rejection is life's way of saying this isn't for you, this isn't for you right now, or there's another way maybe even at another time that this will be better for you. Most of the times we thought would destroy us if certain things didn't come to fruition, we've long lived past. As harsh as life is when we ask it gifts us with the talent to know or feel what response will be received, not always the reason. It is always working for our good, even when things did not work out for the good as we had planned. That connection that you're tempted to be silently mad at, let it go and watch how that energy you release makes room for something bigger, and if nothing else it allows you to move forward lighter and baggage free. Stay light. All things are working together for your good.
- Things have a way of coming full-circle long after we have moved on from the idea. You have a strategy; call it a vision board, goal list for the year, bucket list...whatever the case may be. You devise a plan and a timeline or maybe just a shoot from the hip thought process of how this will all unfold. You try, and after a couple to a few unsuccessful attempts -- from your perspective, you move on to chasing another dream. When we least expect it, at what has been appointed as the right time for us, some of our seeds that were sown earlier begin to bear fruit. Eight years ago, I was introduced to a contact and we exchanged light laughter and conversation. I suggested an idea that didn't take off, but the seeds were planted.
In the process we became genuine friends and in its own time and quite unexpectedly things blossomed into a reality much bigger than anything I had originally suggested. I learned that without persistently banging on the door with an idea, life has a chance to happen naturally. Treat people you meet kindly. Not because you want something from them but because that's who and what we're called to do. I am reminded often of the power in giving with no ulterior motive. Call it good karma making its way back. Kindness does indeed travel full-circle. It wants to be released freely and genuinely and when it's good and ready and we're not tapping our fingers and wagging our tongues about every good deed we've done, it shows up unannounced and blows our socks off. We reap what we sow; the law of life.
- I am not the sports girl, but watching the mini-documentaries on athletes, Super Bowl ads and the half-time show have a place in my schedule. Surely you can remember like I did the blackout everyone would probably like to forget, but what I also remember is the Oreo team who was present, ready and executed one of the most watched and talked about on-line ads "Dunk in the dark". When asked, the team said they were there just in case something happened and when it did they seized the moment and took advantage of an unplanned occurrence. How present and ready are you?
Lights will go out. Things will go anyway but the way you planned and the sting of disappointments will sometimes threaten the best of you. As we are reminded in the new ad chronicling snippets of Derrick Coleman's life, our perceived limitations are only given power when we breathe life into it. When we're so focused on scripting our best pitch we don't see and hear anything that tries to disrupt our momentum. You have to first believe so strongly in your message that what is projected is your brilliant resilience to see your vision come to life at the right time. What story is your life pitching? Are you ready for the moment you've long been hoping for?