SHOW TIME!

Aurore Dupin Dudevant arrived in Paris in 1831. She left her husband because, she said, marriage was worse than prison. She was weary of other people dictating whom she should be and controlling how she should act. Her intention was to take her life into her own hands and become a successful writer.

Becoming a successful writer at this time was an impossible task for a woman. What female writers that were able to get their books published in those days did not earn a living by their royalties. She was reminded of this hurdle when she showed her writing to a publisher and was told that she should go make babies, not literature.

Undeterred, Dudevant devised a strategy for reinventing herself. She would not play society's games. She would not be restricted to the role “proper women” were to assume. She would not be held down by the old boy’s network. What did she do?

Having always preferred men’s riding breeches to that of a woman’s, she began dressing like a man. All out. Long men’s coats, cravats, the whole shebang. She also would smoke and drink just like the men of her day, and, quite often, curse with the best of them. She then published her first novel, Indiana, under the pseudonym, George Sand.

This female-behaving-as-a-male intrigued people … especially the male artists, who welcomed her into their clubs.

Okay. They were French … but that’s beside the point! The point is she refused to have others dictate her role in society. Had she not taken on a different role, she would have never experienced the success that came her way as a writer.

Choose Your Roles
Hugh Laurie only plays a doctor on House.

Mark Feuerstein only plays a concierge doctor on Royal Pains.

These are roles that each actor has chosen to play. Only close friends and family have a clue as to their real personalities. No one condemns them for this. No one cries out, “FRAUD!” Even their families and friends realize that the guy on the screen is not the guy at home in the living room. And this is cool by them.

At work, what role will be most useful, most conducive to continued effectiveness and success? What role do you need to play so as to realize your dreams? I am not suggesting that you change who you are at your core. (Although, the roles you play often rub-off on who you are as an individual.) I am suggesting that you may want to learn to take on various roles, so as to achieve your goals.

In 1970 when I began my studies at Samford University, I was a Music major. (Voice and piano.) I loved classical music and found that learning instruments was quite easy for me. However, it hadn’t occurred to me that I was going to be required to perform in front of people. My personality profile was spot on when it noted that Monte E Wilson, III was an extreme introvert--off the charts, in fact. My High School counselor told me to stay away from anything with moving parts … and people. I kid you not!

My first anxiety attack came the day that I was told it was time for juries. I was to sing before four professors whom would then grade my performance. Worse yet, my jury was going to include Dr. Claude Ray, the Dean of the Music school. I immediately began wondering about another choice of majors.

While standing outside the jury room, waiting for my turn to sing four songs--one which would be in English, the other three in different languages—a young lady ran out of the room crying. Anxiety turned to panic.

For some unknown reason I remembered the fact that many of my favorite movie actors were quite shy and introverted, but became someone else before the cameras. Could I pull this off? Could I pretend to be someone else, a character in a movie that was a great performer? You bet!

When it came my turn, I said to myself, "SHOW TIME!" I went in and nailed the performance. I had chosen to play Mr. Extrovert.

While I didn’t remain in music, my career path required that, most days, “Mr. Extrovert” took center stage. Leadership seminars, corporate trainings, and fundraising for charities required that I play a role: a role that was the opposite of my true personally and way of being. To this day, all but my family and closest friends think that this role is who I am, that I am jazzed by being with large groups of people and standing at center stage.

My passion is helping others to become successful in life, cross-contextually--by which I mean “successful” in every area of life. I saw that Monte the Introvert was going to be limited in his ability to achieve his outcomes, and, therefore, needed to take on different roles.

The people in your world quite often wish to be in charge of who plays what role. They have determined that your role is Ms Mouse or Mr Limpwrist. However, you know what you want out of life. You know better than anyone else what roles will get you to where you want. If you aren’t careful about not allowing others to play Casting Director in the production of your life’s work, you will end up only having a cameo appearance … in the production of their life’s work.

Copyright, Monte E Wilson, 2010