By Bill Quain
I’m writing this column the day before the Super Bowl. Every single player at that game made the decision to “go pro” at some point in their careers. Maybe they dreamed about it as little kids. When they got to high school, they began to turn their dreams into reality by doing whatever it took to be the best.
The players we see in the Super Bowl are the best of the best – not just because of talent, but because of their professionalism. Some will tackle, some will pass, and some will run. One of them will actually fly. That is, one will be on a private jet from Tokyo. T.S. is a real pro, just like the others.
Each of them will be where they are – on the biggest stage in the world – because they decided to “go pro.”
Each of us can “go pro”.
It isn’t just sports and entertainment superstars who must decide to go pro. Each of us – no matter what we do – is a decision away from reaching our potential. Making that decision is the first step in a process that can take you from being a pretender to being a contender – for whatever you want. All the pros we watched during the Super Bowl followed a process. They decided to stand out, to take a chance, and to take their best shot. Once that decision was made, they also took the next steps – to learn, practice, perform, and repeat it all as many times as it took to be the best.
It is all part of “sunny”.
If you’ve been reading my column, you know about my series “money, sunny and honey”. Money is self-evident. We all need it! “Sunny” is your mental, emotional and physical health. “Honey” is your relationships. This is my last column on “sunny” before we dive into the “honey” stuff. If you want to catch up, check out shorelocalnews.com for past issues on this topic.
Going pro is both a behavioral and an attitude decision, and that puts it squarely into the Sunny category. Each of us will make a number of “go pro” decisions throughout our lives. It might be for sports, a profession, a relationship, or any number of things.
When I was younger, I played the banjo. When I moved to New Orleans, I earned a spot in a Dixieland Marching Band. Although we did not get paid, we had to go pro by taking on the persona and practices of street-marching Mardi Gras musicians. I learned my music, practiced marching in somewhat of a formation, and most importantly for a New Orleans Marching Band, learned the tricks of escaping the clutches of over-exuberant and often tipsy fans. The Rolling Stones had no competition from us, but we weren’t just a mob on the street. We were a band! Something separated us from other people. When we marched, we were believable.
Life: Do it like a pro.
Each of us takes on a whole series of roles in life. We go from son or daughter to student, and from friend to sweetheart or partner. We pick up hobbies and interests. Some of them turn into professions. We learn to make money and to take a position in a community. All of us move back and forth between learners and teachers. It’s a journey! If we want to get the most and give the most on that journey, we must make the decision to go pro. We need to look for others who have made the same decision.
Best of all, pros get paid!
I mentioned that I didn’t get paid for playing in the marching band in New Orleans. Well, let me clarify that. I didn’t get paid money. But wow, it was sure fun to be identified as a musician during Mardi Gras! At the end of the parades, when we walked into a bar with our instruments, we got respect. All of the tourists made room for us. People smiled at us and thanked us for our music. We brought a lot of joy to the occasion and felt it coming back to us.
My proudest moment as a “pro” came when a group of us walked into a bar after a march. The house band was in full swing on a small stage. The banjo player jumped down beside me and said, “Let’s play ‘Crawfish Pie’ in the key of C.” We led the patrons in a great march around the bar and played for about a half hour. What a day! If we hadn’t looked and acted like pros, nobody would have asked us to join in.
All the pros recognize each other.
So, will you be in the audience, on the sidelines, or in the waiting room all your life? Or will you go pro in something, and show the world that you are a serious player? You’ll find that when you go pro, other pros will recognize you the minute you step on the stage! Or, as it happened to me on that magical day in the French Quarters, they will recognize you when you show up with your banjo and a stylish hat. Once you make the switch from amateur status to a serious pro, you’ll stand out from the crowd and be invited to play with the big kids.
Tell me your going pro story.
Hey pro, I recognize you! You’re the one who… okay, fill in the blanks. Send me an email to bill@quain.com. Tell me how you went pro. It’s time to share! As I say each week, “I’ll see you in the papers!”
Bill is a Professor in Stockton University’s Hospitality Management Program. He is the author of 27 books, and a highly-respected speaker. Even though he is almost totally blind, Bill is a long-distance runner and runs the Ocean City Half Marathon each year. He lives in Ocean City with his wife Jeanne, and his Guide Dog Trudy. Visit www.billquain.com or email him at bill@quain.com.
