#264
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”—John Wayne
After I was set to appear on the Dr. Laura Show, they decided to add another segment—they wanted me to do a “man-on-the-street” type interview à la Jay Leno. I had to think up some questions to ask people about money that they might have funny responses to. My research team of poker players came up with: “Whose picture is on the $10 bill?” (Alexander Hamilton); “What does ‘FICA’ stand for?” (Federal Insurance Constitution Act—this is your contribution to Social Security); “What does the ‘k’ in ‘401k’ stand for?” (nothing—it’s just a section of the tax code); among others.
The day of the filming, I had to talk myself out of being nervous. I did affirmations all morning. I convinced myself that I was born to be a roving reporter, that I was a natural, that I was perfect for this. So when I arrived at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, I was ready to “act as if” I had been doing this a long time. I met the film crew and we had fun interviewing various people at the mall. After the first few “takes,” they asked me if I had done this before!
Two days later, another “Real Black Limo” picked me up to film the show in front of the studio audience. Once more, I practiced affirmations and acted “as if.” Just in case we needed them, I prepared “Ten More Stupid Things”:
- Buy stocks on a hot tip from a friend.
- Pay $65,000 to climb Mount Everest. Best-case scenario: They’re hungry, cold, and in need of oxygen. Worst-case scenario: Death.
- Give their life savings to a con man in exchange for his “winning” million-dollar lottery ticket.
- Day trade on the stock market—then panic and sell everything at a loss the first time the market takes a dive.
- Buy designer water.
- Believe that a bank will loan them money just because they have a good business plan.
- Buy life insurance when they’re single.
- Undercharge for their product or service and “make it up in volume.”
- Save millions while living a lifetime in poverty, then die and leave it all to heirs who travel first class.
- Buy the cutest house on the block in a bad neighborhood.
You’re not guilty of any of these, are you?
The filming of the show went very well. Everyone connected with it was friendly and helpful. It was a pleasure. Affirmations and “act as if”—an unbeatable combination. Remember that.
Today’s Affirmation:
“I do a great job at whatever I choose to do!”
My friend Gary Tharler sent me this note:
The geneticist J.B.S. Haldane said that new ideas have four stages of acceptance:
1) This is worthless nonsense;
2) This is an interesting, but perverse, point of view;
3) This is true, but quite unimportant;
4) I always said so.
And that’s how human beings work through change!