While locals may enjoy and appreciate it, they see it everyday as they drive by, and I bet it loses some of its impact. The old saying "You can't be a prophet in your own home town" can likely be said as "You can't be a spectacular sight in your own home town" as well.
The same can be said for our own experiences. We've experienced them, so they are NO BIG DEAL. Bike accidents. Dealing with genetic disorders. Switching careers. Fantastic relationships. When you are in the eye of your own storm, you miss the magnitude, the massive impact, it can have for others. Just because its YOUR ordinary, doesn't mean it's not extraordinary.
The Garden of the Gods isn't Moab or Bryce Canyon, but it's a far sight more impressive than Broomfield, CO, where I spend much of my life. It gave me a wonderful interrupt in my day, and helped me regain some much needed perspective in the moment.
Whether your stories are a big deal to you or not is not what matters. Can they be a big deal to an audience? Just as I came in from out of town to appreciate what the people in Colorado Springs may take for granted, you need to bring in a third party to help you find the value of your experiences, and how they can help you Speak & Deliver.
On that note, I'm taking clients..... :)
Rich:
ReplyDeleteI’ll never forget the first time we stopped at a parking lot in Twin Falls, Idaho right next to one end of the 485-foot high Perrine Bridge over the Snake River. A minivan pulled up and parked beside us.
Then three college-age young men opened the doors, and ran laughing (insanely?) out onto the bridge wearing what I thought were backpacks. They climbed over the railing at the middle and jumped!
We ran over to see what they were doing, and were pleasantly surprised to watch them expertly steer their parachutes to land on the riverbank. It is legal to BASE jump off that bridge without a permit. Ordinarily all you have to do first is place a courtesy call to the police, so they don’t declare an emergency if tourists like us freak out and call 911.
Rich, this is good!
ReplyDeleteToo many times people think they have nothing to talk about.
Like you wrote, their EVERYDAY could be someone's PAY DAY!
Thanks for the Post!